Monday,
January 27, 2025 -DR Congo, head of UN peacekeeping mission, MONUSCO, Bintou Keita has
called for immediate action to end the crisis in the eastern Democratic
Republic of Congo, saying, “we are trapped”
Keita made the call while briefing the Security Council on Sunday in New
York on the latest developments, as the non-State armed group M23 advances on
cities in the east amid reports of deaths and injuries of civilians and
peacekeepers.
Spiralling violence and killings in the eastern DR Congo had triggered
an emergency Security Council meeting amid peacekeeper and civilian deaths
along with sharp calls for action.
Roads are blocked and the airport can no longer be used for evacuation
or humanitarian efforts. M23 has declared Goma airport “closed” and falsely
accused FARDC of using it in airstrikes against the civilian population.
“We are trapped. I call on this Council to act now to secure the
civilian population, humanitarian aid workers, and all United Nations
personnel.
“Today, despite ongoing MONUSCO support to FARDC, M23 and Rwandan forces
penetrated Munigi quarter in the outskirts Goma city, causing mass panic and
flight amongst the population,” she said.
The Humanitarian Coordinator in DR Congo, Bruno Lemarquis, expressed his
profound concern regarding the intensification of ongoing fighting around the
city of Goma and its growing impact on civilians.
Since the renewed M23 offensives near Goma on January 23, 2025, hundreds
of thousands of people have once again been forced to flee multiple active
conflict zones, with reception and assistance capacities already overstretched.
Several displacement sites on the outskirts of Goma, hosting more than
300,000 people, have been completely emptied within hours.
Humanitarian actors, including essential personnel who remain
operational in Goma, are doing everything possible to address the needs of the
most vulnerable civilians despite an alarming deterioration of security in
displacement sites and certain neighborhoods of the city.
The proximity of fighting to densely populated areas and the use of heavy artillery impose intolerable risks on civilians. The emergency capacities of Goma’s hospitals are overwhelmed, despite support from humanitarian actors.
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