Violent clashes resumed on Saturday between rebel forces and militias aligned with the national army in the city of Goma, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, an area currently under the control of the M23 rebel group, which is widely believed to be backed by Rwanda.
According to local residents cited by Reuters, the latest confrontations are the most intense since fighting first broke out in the city in January.
A government statement released on Saturday evening reported that the violence resulted in the deaths of 52 people from Goma and surrounding towns.
Residents described heavy exchanges of gunfire involving various weapons, including rocket launchers. Eyewitnesses said some of the dead and injured were members of the M23 rebel movement, which seized control of Goma earlier this year.
Blame Game
In its statement, the Congolese government blamed M23 rebels for the violence. However, M23 spokesperson Willy Ngoma stated on X (formerly Twitter) that calm had returned to the city after provocations by Congolese army units and allied “Wazalendo” militias.
The Wazalendo militia released its own statement claiming that the clashes were a response to earlier attacks by M23 rebels earlier in the week.
According to UN data, the surge in violence in eastern Congo in recent months has led to the deaths of more than 7,000 people and widespread displacement.
These renewed clashes come as warring parties are currently meeting in Doha, the capital of Qatar, following a mediation initiative launched by Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in March. The initiative aims to reach a resolution that would put an end to the conflict, which threatens to escalate into a full-blown regional war.
