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Rwandan-backed rebels marched into east Congo’s largest city Goma on Monday and Congolese troops exchanged fire with the Rwandan military across the border, in the worst escalation of the long-running conflict for more than a decade.
A rebel alliance led by the ethnic Tutsi-led M23 militia said it had seized the lakeside city of over 2 million people, a major hub for displaced people and aid groups which lies on the border with Rwanda and was last occupied by M23 in 2012.
The deep pounding of heavy artillery fire and rapid rat-a-tat of gunshots could be heard in a video of Goma airport, posted on social media and verified by Reuters, that showed unidentified armed men running on airport grounds, Reuters reported.
“We can still hear gunfire coming from the airport. A rocket landed close to the church, behind our house,” said one resident, speaking from Goma’s northeast Majengo neighbourhood.
Residents reported hearing or seeing clashes between government-aligned militia and M23 fighters in other areas too.
Corneille Nangaa, leader of the Congo River Alliance that includes the M23, told Reuters his forces were in control of Goma. “They (army soldiers) have started to surrender, but it takes time,” he said.
This could not be independently verified and it was unclear if the whole city was under M23 control.
Congo accused Rwanda of sending troops into its territory and threatening “carnage”. The government urged residents to stay at home and refrain from looting.
Congolese soldiers positioned on Mount Goma, a hill within the city, exchanged artillery fire with Rwandan troops on the other side of the border, in the town of Gisenyi, according to two U.N. sources speaking from a U.N. site between the two.
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