AFRICA: DR Congo’s Goma Falls Under Rebels As The UN Relocates Staff
The United Nations stated on Saturday that it has chosen to temporarily relocate non-essential staff from Goma, the capital of North Kivu province in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), due to deteriorating security conditions.
According to a UN news statement, the decision impacts administrative staff as well as those who can do their duties remotely.
MONUSCO staff in #Goma cross into #Rwanda through the Grande Barrière border to leave the DRC after the M23 rebel group captured Goma.
— Ngabonziza🇷🇼 (@Rushema_thierry) January 27, 2025
This follows the closure of all other evacuation routes, including air and land, by the M23. pic.twitter.com/QwVftsxHch
The agency stated that this transfer will not jeopardize its commitment to providing humanitarian assistance and protecting people in North Kivu.
The move comes amid rising violence and territorial advances by the March 23 Movement (M23) rebels, who recently took Sake, a town considered the government forces’ last line of defense before Goma.
According to the UN, crucial people are still on the ground to ensure the continuation of critical operations such as food distribution, medical aid, shelter supply, and the protection of vulnerable populations.
We are deeply concerned by the recent M23 and Rwandan Defence Forces advances in eastern DRC.
— UK at the UN 🇬🇧🇺🇳 (@UKUN_NewYork) January 26, 2025
Their advance risks a humanitarian catastrophe in Goma, and has cost the lives of UN peacekeepers.
These attacks must stop. Rwanda and DRC must return to the negotiating table. pic.twitter.com/v1Mp5SDDL6
The interim relocation will be evaluated when the security situation changes.
Panic has developed among displaced people in Goma, a strategic city in the region that was under M23 control for ten days in 2012.
Several foreign embassies have issued recommendations advising their residents to evacuate North Kivu while airports and crossings remain operational.
Guillaume Njike Kaiko, a spokesperson for the Congolese army in North Kivu, stated on Friday that operations are ongoing to retake Sake.
“We have already stopped the enemy’s advance toward the city of Goma, and at this moment, we urge the population to remain calm as our armed forces are fully engaged on the front lines. We assure the public that the army will restore order on the ground,” Kaiko told Xinhua.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres voiced grave worry about M23’s renewed attacks.
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Guterres decried the rebel group’s renewed offensive since the beginning of the year in a statement issued Thursday by his spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric.
He also criticized their progress into North and South Kivu provinces, especially the recent takeover of Sake.
Mass jailbreak reported at Munzenze prison in Goma, eastern DRC, on Monday morning as M23 rebel group fighters moved into the city.
— Cyprian, Is Nyakundi (@C_NyaKundiH) January 27, 2025
The prison which holds approximately 3,000 inmates was reportedly set ablaze as fleeing prisoners were seen in the surrounding streets. pic.twitter.com/Vms5v3NdXS
It is now Confirmed 👍 Rwanda/Uganda backed m23 rebels capture Goma city in DR pic.twitter.com/ROoS1se1eE
— Soweedi Wassaaka (@SoweediWassaaka) January 27, 2025
Goma DRC this morning. #sabcnews pic.twitter.com/D8QcQMhzBC
— Sophie Mokoena (@Sophie_Mokoena) January 27, 2025
Because the offensive has resulted in catastrophic human losses and heightened the possibility of a larger regional conflict, Guterres urged M23 to immediately cease its operations, withdraw from all occupied regions, and adhere to the ceasefire deal reached last August.
More than 400,000 people have been displaced since the beginning of 2025 in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, where confrontations between the Congolese army and armed groups have escalated.
AFRICA: DR Congo’s Goma Falls Under Rebels As The UN Relocates Staff
