The United Nations has reported a staggering death toll of nearly 3,000 people in the city of Goma, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), following its capture by rebel forces, CNN reports.
The deaths come after days of intense fighting with the Congolese army.
Vivian van de Perre, deputy head of the UN mission in DR Congo, revealed the grim figures on Wednesday.
“We expect this number to go up. There are still many decomposing bodies in certain areas.”
The body retrieval efforts coincide with a ceasefire announcement on Tuesday by the rebel coalition, Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC) – which includes the M23 armed group. The AFC cited the “humanitarian crisis caused by the Kinshasa regime” as the reason for the ceasefire.
However, the Congolese government has dismissed the ceasefire as “false communication,” and the UN reported continued heavy fighting in South Kivu province on Wednesday.
The DRC, a nation of over 100 million people, has been plagued by decades of violence stemming from ethnic tensions and conflicts over land and mineral resources, creating one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises.
The Congolese government, the United States, and UN experts have accused neighboring Rwanda of backing M23, a primarily Tutsi group that broke away from the Congolese army over a decade ago.
While Rwanda denies direct involvement, President Paul Kagame said that Rwandan troops and missile systems are present in eastern Congo to safeguard Rwandan security.
Since 2022, M23, claiming to defend minority interests including the Tutsi, has reignited its rebellion against the Congolese government, seizing control of a large portion of North Kivu, which borders Rwanda and Uganda.
The region is rich in rare minerals, including substantial deposits of coltan, a crucial component in the production of phones and computers.
Reports indicate that rebel groups continue to expand their control in the mineral-rich eastern region. The Associated Press reported on Wednesday that rebels had captured a town just 60 miles from Bukavu, citing civil society officials and residents.
The AFC’s leader, Corneille Nangaa, has expressed intentions to capture more cities, including the nation’s capital, Kinshasa, which is located some 930 miles west of Goma.
AFC spokesman Victor Tesongo told CNN on Friday that rebels were working to “install a new administration” in Goma and to advance further into South Kivu and towards Kinshasa.
The Congolese government has not confirmed the rebels’ complete takeover of Goma but admits their presence. Last week, a new military governor was appointed for North Kivu, which the Congolese military described as being “under a state of siege.”
