GOMA, Congo (AP) 鈥� Rwanda-backed rebels claimed they captured eastern Congo鈥檚 largest city, , early Monday, as the United Nations described a 鈥渕ass panic鈥� among its 2 million people and Congo鈥檚 government said the rebel advance was a 鈥渄eclaration of war."
announced the city's capture in a statement minutes before a 48-hour deadline expired that had been imposed by the group for the Congolese army to surrender their weapons. Early Monday morning, gunfire was heard throughout the city, according to two aid workers sheltering there who were not authorized to speak to the media.
In a statement, the rebels urged residents of Goma to remain calm and for members of the Congolese military to assemble at the central stadium.
The M23 rebels鈥� offensive in the heart of the mineral-rich region threatens to dramatically worsen one of Africa鈥檚 longest wars and further displace civilians. According to a United Nations report, over a third of the population of North Kivu province where Goma is and the capture of Goma will likely exacerbate the situation.
Late Sunday night, UN peacekeepers began to process members of the military who had begun to surrender on the outskirts of the city.
Congolese government spokesman Patrick Muyaya made a statement in a video posted on X calling for the protection of civilians and saying that the country is 鈥渋n a war situation where the news is changing.鈥�
Late Sunday, the U.N.鈥檚 special representative for Congo told an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council that with the airport shut down and roads blocked in the vast region鈥檚 humanitarian and security hub, 鈥渨e are trapped."
Congo late Saturday broke off relations with Rwanda, which has denied backing the M23 despite evidence collected by U.N. experts and others. The surge of violence has over the past week. And Congolese were again on the run.
The M23 has made along Congo's border with Rwanda in recent weeks, after months of regional attempts to make peace failed. On Sunday night, the rebels called on Congo's army to surrender their arms and present themselves at a local stadium by 3 a.m. or they would take the city.
The Uruguayan army, who are in Goma serving with the U.N. peacekeeping mission, said in a statement on X late Sunday that some Congolese soldiers have laid down their weapons.
鈥淢ore than a hundred FARDC soldiers are sheltered in the facilities of the 鈥淪iempre Presente鈥� base awaiting the (Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration) process,鈥� the statement said.
In photos shared with the statement, armed men are seen registering with the peacekeepers in a mix of military uniforms and civilian clothing.
The U.N. special representative, Bintou Keita, told the Security Council that despite U.N. peacekeepers' support for the Congolese armed forces, M23 and Rwandan forces entered the Munigi neighborhood on Goma's outskirts, "causing mass panic." Munigi is 9 kilometers (5 miles) from the city.
Keita said M23 fighters were advancing and using residents 鈥渁s human shields鈥� as others fled for their lives.
鈥淢23 has declared the airspace over Goma closed,鈥� she added. "In other words, we are trapped.鈥� She said the U.N. was temporarily relocating nonessential personnel from the city.
Congo鈥檚 foreign minister, Th茅r猫se Kayikwamba Wagner, told the Security Council that Rwanda was committing 鈥渁 frontal aggression, a declaration of war which no longer hides itself behind diplomatic maneuvers.鈥�
Rwanda鈥檚 ambassador to the U.N., Ernest Rwamucyo, did not confirm or deny Congo鈥檚 claims. He blamed Congo鈥檚 government, saying the crisis could have been been averted if it had 鈥渄emonstrated a genuine commitment to peace.鈥�
The United States and France called for a ceasefire and appealed to Rwanda to withdraw its support to M23, with acting U.S. Ambassador Dorothy Shea warning that the U.S. would 鈥渃onsider all the tools at its disposal" to hold accountable those responsible for sustaining the armed conflict.
In the past 48 hours, two U.N. peacekeepers from South Africa and one from Uruguay were killed and 11 others were injured and hospitalized, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres鈥� spokesman said ahead of the Security Council meeting.
The U.N. chief reiterated his 鈥渟trongest condemnation鈥� of the M23 offensive 鈥渨ith the support of the Rwanda Defense Forces,鈥� and called on the rebel group to immediately halt all hostile action and withdraw, spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.
Congo cuts ties with Rwanda
Congo, the United States and U.N. experts accuse Rwanda of backing M23, which is mainly made up of ethnic Tutsis who broke away from the Congolese army more than a decade ago. It's one of about 100 armed groups that have been vying for a foothold in a has created one of the world鈥檚 largest humanitarian crises.
Rwanda鈥檚 government denies backing the rebels, but last year acknowledged that it has troops and missile systems in eastern Congo to safeguard its security, pointing to a buildup of Congolese forces near the border. up to 4,000 Rwandan forces are in Congo.
Congo's foreign ministry said late Saturday it was severing diplomatic ties with Rwanda and pulling all diplomatic staff from the country 鈥渨ith immediate effect.鈥�
Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe told The Associated Press on Sunday that the decision to cut ties was a unilateral move by Congo.
鈥淔or us, we took appropriate measures to evacuate our remaining diplomat in Kinshasa, who was under permanent threat by Congolese officials," Nduhungirehe said.
The M23 took Goma once before in 2012, withdrawing after considerable international pressure was put on Rwanda.
Civilians flee the rebel advance
On Sunday morning, heavy gunfire resonated across Goma, a few kilometers (miles) from the front line. Scores of children and adults fled the Kanyaruchinya camp, one of the largest in eastern Congo for displaced people, near the Rwandan border.
鈥淲e are fleeing because we saw soldiers on the border with Rwanda throwing bombs and shooting,鈥� said Safi Shangwe, who was heading into the city.
Some of the displaced worried they would not be safe in Goma, either. 鈥淚 heard that there are bombs in Goma, too, so now we don鈥檛 know where to go,鈥� said Ad猫le Shimiye.
Hundreds of people attempted to flee to Rwanda. Migration officers at a border crossing east of Goma carefully checked travel documents.
鈥淚 am crossing to the other side to see if we will have a place of refuge because for the moment, security in the city is not guaranteed," Goma resident Muahadi Amani told the AP.
U.N. deputy humanitarian chief Joyce Msuya said the situation was rapidly deteriorating. 鈥淚f hostilities spill into Goma 鈥� a densely populated urban center 鈥� the impact on civilians could be devastating,鈥� she said.
Congo鈥檚 army has said it was fending off the M23 offensive with the help of allied forces, including U.N. peacekeepers and soldiers from the Southern African Development Community Mission, also known as SAMIDRC.
In addition to the two South African peacekeepers, seven South African troops with SAMIDIRC have been killed in recent days, South Africa鈥檚 defense ministry said.
Since 2021, Congo鈥檚 government and allied forces 鈥� including the 14,000-strong U.N. mission 鈥� have been keeping M23 away from Goma.
Goma resident Bahati Jackson鈥檚 family has been hearing gunfire and remembers fleeing M23鈥檚 seizure of the city in 2012. But this time, they鈥檙e staying.
鈥淚f we鈥檙e going to die, it鈥檚 better to die here,鈥� Jackson said.
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Pronczuk reported from Dakar, Senegal, and Lederer reported from New York. Associated Press writer Ignatius Ssuuna in Kigali, Rwanda and Sam Mednick in Jerusalem, Israel contributed to this report.
Justin Kabumba, Monika Pronczuk, Wilson Mcmakin, Christina Malkia And Edith M. Lederer, The Associated Press
