Rwandan authorities on Monday, January 27, received close to 2,000 people, most of them employed by the United Nations in Goma, the eastern DR Congo city which was captured by M23 rebels. They were received in the border district of Rubavu in western Rwanda, before being escorted to Kigali Pele Stadium where they were all processed. The first batch of the group was received on Monday morning in the wake of intensified fighting between the AFC/M23 rebels and the Congolese government forces (FARDC), which has forced thousands of Congolese citizens to flee for their safety. ALSO READ: Rwanda condemns ‘misguided, manipulative’ statements on DR Congo crisis According to officials, the group received in Rwanda includes the leadership of MONUSCO, the UN mission in DR Congo, particularly the foreign staff, who fled the country after the rebels advanced in the border. ALSO READ: Rwanda condemns MONUSCO’s use of Nazi Germany language in eastern DR Congo conflict Buses transported the group from Rubavu to Kigali Pele Stadium, where they were screened and processed. Officials said that an exercise to negotiate hotel accommodations for the group was underway, with the United Nations organizing flights to Kinshasa via Entebbe. The war between a government coalition and the M23 has been going on since 2021. ALSO READ: Kinshasa could have avoided current crisis, says Rwanda envoy The government army coalition includes the genocidal FDLR militia, 10,000 Burundian forces, 1,600 European mercenaries, and South Africa-led SADC forces. The conflict escalated last week after the rebels captured new territory, followed by the killing of North Kivu’s Military Governor Peter Cirimwami, and threatened to march on Goma. The government coalition has since suffered more losses, including the deaths of the FDLR top commander ‘Maj Gen’ Pacifique Ntawunguka, alias Omega, and soldiers of the South Africa-led SADC mission and the UN mission. In recent weeks, the M23 captured the towns of Minova, in South Kivu, and Masisi, in North Kivu. The rebels demand direct peace talks with the Congolese government, which has ruled out any possibility of talks with the rebels, calling them a terrorist movement. Regional initiatives have failed to end the war politically, with the Congolese government pursuing a military solution. On Sunday, the government of Rwanda expressed concerns about statements issued by various parties on the security crisis in eastern DR Congo. “Misguided or manipulative statements do not provide any solutions,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned in a statement on Sunday. “The ongoing conflict in eastern DRC, particularly the recent heavy fighting around Goma, was triggered by constant violations of the ceasefire by the Congolese armed forces (FARDC) in coalition with UN-sanctioned genocidal militia FDLR, European mercenaries, ethnic militias (Wazalendo), Burundian armed forces, SAMIDRC forces as well as MONUSCO troops.” “This fighting close to the Rwandan border continues to present a serious threat to Rwanda's security and territorial integrity, and necessitates Rwanda's sustained defensive posture,” the ministry said.
