Sat Feb 01 02:52:42 IST 2025: ## M23 Rebels Advance in DR Congo, Raising International Concern

**Goma, DR Congo – February 1, 2025** – The Rwandan-backed M23 rebel group continues its advance in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), sparking a major international crisis. After seizing control of most of Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, earlier this week, the M23 is now pushing south towards Kavumu, a city with a strategic military airfield, and ultimately aiming for Bukavu, the second-largest city in the east.

The rapid offensive has met with limited resistance from the Congolese army, prompting a surge of volunteers to join Congolese militias defending Bukavu. The UN has warned of the M23’s rapid approach to Bukavu, home to two million people. The situation has led to a humanitarian crisis, displacing half a million people this month and causing food and water shortages.

The M23’s leader, Corneille Nangaa, declared their intention to march to Kinshasa, the DRC capital. This escalation follows weeks of intense fighting, resulting in over 100 deaths and widespread destruction. Hospitals in Goma are overwhelmed by the injured.

International condemnation is mounting, with the UN, US, EU, China, Britain, France, and Angola calling on Rwanda to withdraw its support for the M23. Britain is considering reviewing its aid to Rwanda. Rwanda denies accusations of supporting the M23, claiming they are Congolese, not Rwandan.

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) is holding an emergency summit in Harare, Zimbabwe, to address the crisis. DRC President Felix Tshisekedi will attend, while Rwandan President Paul Kagame will not. This follows heightened tensions between Kagame and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa after the deaths of 13 South African soldiers serving in the SADC Mission in DRC.

The DRC accuses Rwanda of exploiting the region’s mineral wealth, a claim supported by a July UN report. The report alleges that Rwanda has thousands of troops in eastern DRC and effectively controls the M23. This ongoing conflict, which has claimed an estimated six million lives over three decades, continues to destabilize the region and presents a serious challenge to international peace efforts.

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