Harare, Jan 28 (IANS): Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa condemned armed groups operating in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) for recent attacks on peacekeeping missions.
In a statement on Monday, Mnangagwa, also chairperson of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), condemned the attacks on UN and SADC peacekeepers, resulting in several deaths and injuries, and extended condolences to the bereaved families.
In November 2024, the SADC extended the mandate of its peacekeeping mission in the DRC by one year amid continued hostilities in the country's eastern region.
Mnangagwa said the SADC will take action to deal with the deteriorating security and humanitarian situation in the eastern DRC, adding that "those responsible for the situation will be held accountable."
Over 400,000 people have been displaced since the start of 2025 in eastern DRC, where fighting between the Congolese army and armed groups has intensified, Xinhua news agency reported.
Tensions remained high in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) as the March 23 Movement (M23) rebellion advanced in the country's North Kivu and South Kivu provinces.
President of the DRC Felix Tshisekedi is expected to address the nation amid the humanitarian crisis and major advances by the rebellion in the eastern part of the country, a DRC official said late Monday. However, he did not specify the exact time of the president's national address.
Vital Kamerhe, president of the National Assembly, the country's lower house of parliament, announced after a high-level meeting chaired by Tshisekedi on the humanitarian and security situation in Goma, the capital of the North Kivu province, which is currently facing attacks by the rebels.
Since Sunday evening, gunfire has been heard across Goma, a city with over 700,000 internally displaced people living on its outskirts. On Monday morning, fighting intensified in various parts of the city, including areas near the border with Rwanda, local sources told Xinhua.
"Active combat zones have spread to all neighbourhoods of the city," Bruno Lemarquis, the deputy UN envoy and top UN humanitarian official in the DRC, told a news conference on Monday. The situation in Goma remains "fast-evolving," he added.
Other local sources said the rebels gained the upper hand after capturing Mount Goma, a strategic hill 1,500 meters above sea level in the city's centre. Several M23 columns entered neighbourhoods in the city, and residents saw their movement along both major and minor roads.
According to UN sources, the border between Rwanda and the DRC near Goma was closed Monday morning. For several days, a significant number of Goma residents crossed the border to seek refuge in Gisenyi, a Rwandan town bordering the DRC, where panic has been mounting amid reports of gunfire.
In its latest statement released early Monday, M23 announced that the "liberation of the city has been completed" and that "the situation is under control" following a 48-hour ultimatum given to Congolese soldiers.
According to sources in the UN peacekeeping mission, the rebel group has taken over several important facilities, including the airport, the port, and a DRC military base. The latest report from a UN group of experts said the rebels have also seized several towns and established a parallel administration.