President Felix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of Congo has pledged a “vigorous and coordinated response” against a rebel alliance that has gained control of large portions of the country’s mineral-rich eastern region, CNN reports.
The announcement comes after the AFC/M23 rebel coalition reportedly seized the key city of Goma, a major urban center in North Kivu province.
In a televised address on Wednesday, Tshisekedi declared that his country would not be “humiliated or crushed” amid growing calls from regional leaders for negotiations with the rebels. The Congolese government has acknowledged that Goma is under siege, but has not officially confirmed reports of the city falling under rebel control.
The situation remains volatile, with multiple local sources indicating that the rebels are also advancing towards the center of neighboring South Kivu province after seizing towns there.
The Congolese government has accused neighboring Rwanda of providing the M23 rebels with both weapons and troops. While Rwanda has not denied the allegations, they have criticized DR Congo for collaborating with Hutu militia groups, specifically referencing a connection between the Congolese government and a group that was part of the 1994 Rwandan genocide. M23 grew out of the CNDP, a mainly Tutsi rebel group, Rwanda states.
Notably, Tshisekedi did not attend a meeting of East African leaders on Wednesday convened to address the crisis. At that meeting, regional leaders urged him to engage in direct dialogue with all parties, including the M23 and other armed groups.
Rwandan President Paul Kagame, who did attend the meeting, stated that the only path to peace was through engagement and for mediators to fully understand the context of the conflict.
The fighting has resulted in numerous casualties, with reports of deaths and injuries among both Congolese forces and foreign peacekeepers. In Goma, hundreds of government troops have reportedly been disarmed by M23, according to the Uruguayan army, which is part of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the region.
Further complicating matters, Rwanda’s military reported on Wednesday that it had “received and escorted over 280 Romanian mercenaries” who had been fighting alongside the Congolese Armed Forces (FARDC). This suggests the presence of foreign combatants on both sides of the conflict.
