Rebels take control of the “most dangerous city in the world” as thousands of residents flee | World

A rebel movement claims to have captured Goma, the largest city in eastern Congo, as terrified residents of neighboring towns flee the fighting.

The advance came despite the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) urging an end to the offensive, amid fears that a long-running regional conflict could escalate into a broader war.

The rebel alliance, called M23 and reportedly backed by Rwanda, has forced thousands of people in the east of the country to flee their homes. Reuters information.

Rwanda has long denied backing the group.

The UN Security Council met on Sunday to discuss the crisis and has called on Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to return to peace talks, addressing issues related to the presence of the Defense Forces. of Rwanda in eastern Congo, as well as Congolese support for the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR).

The United States, France and Britain condemned what they said was Kigali’s support for the rebel advance.

The stated goal of the M23 is to defend Tutsi interests, especially against ethnic Hutu militias such as the FDLR.

The UNSC spoke out against what it called “the current blatant disregard for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the DRC, including the unauthorized presence in eastern DRC of external forces”, without explicitly naming to M23.

However, they demanded that the forces “withdraw immediately.”

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The Democratic Republic of Congo has called for UN sanctions to be imposed on Rwanda over the lightning advance, as international pressure mounts to end the battle for Goma.

On Sunday, Kenya announced that Democratic Republic of Congo President Felix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame had agreed to attend talks over the next two days.

Kenyan Prime Minister William Ruto, chairman of the East African Community bloc, urged both leaders to “heed the call for peace from the people of our region and the international community.”

Ruto will meet heads of state for an emergency meeting on the situation, a Kenyan Foreign Ministry official said.

In addition to current security concerns, the city is known for its dangerous volcanic environment.

Italian volcanologist Dario Tedesco previously described Goma as “the most dangerous city in the world”, due to the nearby active volcano Nyiragongo.

It once erupted in 1997, sending lava at a terrifying speed of about 60mph and, even though the molten flow solidified before reaching the heart of the city, hundreds of people lost their lives.

Then, in 2002, 15 million cubic meters of lava spilled into central Goma, destroying 14,000 homes and causing 350,000 citizens to flee in terror.