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Arab News
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Civilians expelled to Rwanda by fighters
GOMA: Armed fighters from the M23 group, which has taken control of eastern DR Congo's key major town of Goma, on Saturday set about expelling thousands of people they say are illegals from Rwanda, witnesses said. On Monday, the group's military spokesman, Willy Ngoma, had presented to the media 181 men whom they referred to as 'Rwandan subjects' illegally in the country at Goma's main sports stadium. All the men shown had ID papers from the DRC, which the M23 asserted were bogus. An AFP reporter said the armed group had summarily burned the documents on the stadium pitch. Several hundred women and children, relatives of those detained, joined them at the stadium aboard trucks chartered by the M23. One of the men arrested, who gave his name only as Eric, had said on Monday that he was from Karenga, located in North Kivu, which is considered a stronghold of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, or FDLR. The FDLR is an armed group founded by former Rwandan Hutu leaders of the 1994 Tutsi genocide. Early on Saturday, 360 people were loaded onto buses from Goma, Eujin Byun, said a spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. The UNHCR stressed that 'returns of refugees to their countries of origin must be safe, voluntary, and carried out with dignity, under international law.' An AFP correspondent reported that the convoy crossed the border to Rubavu, in western Rwanda. 'We will do everything to reintegrate them into society, so that they have the same responsibilities and rights as other Rwandans,' said Prosper Mulindwa, mayor of Rubavu district. The M23 and Kigali accuse Kinshasa of supporting the FDLR and have justified their offensive in eastern DRC by a need to neutralize that group. Most of the families expelled by the M23 are from Karenga and had been prevented from returning there after the M23 took over Goma, according to security and humanitarian sources. The sources said the families lived in a reception center for displaced persons in Sake, some 20 km from Goma. In March, 20 suspected FDLR fighters, dressed in Congolese Armed Forces uniforms, were handed over to Rwandan authorities by the M23. Kinshasa denounced the incident as a 'crude fabrication' intended to discredit its army.
Jordan Times
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Jordan Times
M23 fighters expel civilians to Rwanda
Armed fighters from the M23 group, which has taken control of eastern DR Congo&apos-dynamic-critical-inline-csss key major town of Goma, on Saturday set about expelling thousands of people they say are illegals from Rwanda, AFP witnessed (AFP photo) GOMA — Armed fighters from the M23 group, which has taken control of eastern DR Congo&apos-dynamic-critical-inline-csss key major town of Goma, on Saturday set about expelling thousands of people they say are illegals from Rwanda, AFP Monday the group&apos-dynamic-critical-inline-csss military spokesman Willy Ngoma had presented to the media 181 men whom they referred to as "Rwandan subjects" illegally in the country at Goma&apos-dynamic-critical-inline-csss main sports of the men shown had ID papers from the DRC which the M23 asserted were bogus. An AFP reporter said the armed group had summarily burned the documents on the stadium hundred women and children, relatives of those detained, joined them at the stadium aboard trucks chartered by the of the men arrested, who gave his name only as Eric, had told AFP on Monday that he was from the town of Karenga, located in North Kivu, which is considered a stronghold of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda [FDLR].The FDLR is an armed group founded by former Rwandan Hutu leaders of the 1994 Tutsi Saturday, 360 people were loaded onto buses from Goma, Eujin Byun, a spokesperson for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees [UNHCR], told UNHCR stressed that "returns of refugees to their countries of origin must be safe, voluntary, and carried out with dignity, in accordance with international law".The convoy crossed the border to Rubavu, in western Rwanda, an AFP correspondent reported."We will do everything to reintegrate them into society, so that they have the same responsibilities and the same rights as other Rwandans," Prosper Mulindwa, mayor of Rubavu district, told M23 and Kigali accuse Kinshasa of supporting the FDLR and have justified their offensive in eastern DRC by a need to neutralise that majority of the families expelled by the M23 are from Karenga, and had been prevented from returning there after the M23 took over Goma, according to security and humanitarian families were living in a reception centre for displaced persons in Sake, some 20 kilometres from Goma, the sources March, 20 suspected FDLR fighters, dressed in Congolese Armed Forces uniforms, were handed over to Rwandan authorities by the M23. Kinshasa denounced the incident as a "crude fabrication" intended to discredit its army. Page 2
Time of India
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
M23 fighters expel civilians to Rwanda
GOMA: Armed fighters from the M23 group, which has taken control of eastern DR Congo's key major town of Goma, on Saturday set about expelling thousands of people they say are illegals from , AFP witnessed. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now On Monday the group's military spokesman Willy Ngoma had presented to the media 181 men whom they referred to as "Rwandan subjects" illegally in the country at Goma's main sports stadium. All of the men shown had ID papers from the DRC which the M23 asserted were bogus. An AFP reporter said the armed group had summarily burned the documents on the stadium pitch. Several hundred women and children, relatives of those detained, joined them at the stadium aboard trucks chartered by the M23. One of the men arrested, who gave his name only as Eric, had told AFP on Monday that he was from the town of Karenga, located in North Kivu, which is considered a stronghold of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda ( ). The FDLR is an armed group founded by former Rwandan Hutu leaders of the 1994 Tutsi genocide. Early Saturday, 360 people were loaded onto buses from Goma, Eujin Byun, a spokesperson for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees ( ), told AFP. The UNHCR stressed that "returns of refugees to their countries of origin must be safe, voluntary, and carried out with dignity, in accordance with international law". The convoy crossed the border to Rubavu, in western Rwanda, an AFP correspondent reported. "We will do everything to reintegrate them into society, so that they have the same responsibilities and the same rights as other Rwandans," Prosper Mulindwa, mayor of Rubavu district, told reporters. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The M23 and Kigali accuse Kinshasa of supporting the FDLR and have justified their offensive in eastern DRC by a need to neutralise that group. The majority of the families expelled by the M23 are from Karenga, and had been prevented from returning there after the M23 took over Goma, according to security and humanitarian sources. The families were living in a reception centre for displaced persons in Sake, some 20 kilometres (13 miles) from Goma, the sources said. In March, 20 suspected FDLR fighters, dressed in Congolese Armed Forces uniforms, were handed over to Rwandan authorities by the M23. Kinshasa denounced the incident as a "crude fabrication" intended to discredit its army.
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Clashes hit rebel-controlled Goma, largest city in east Congo
(Reuters) - Clashes between pro-government forces and Rwanda-backed rebels reached Goma in east Congo, residents told Reuters on Saturday, as each side blamed the other for the worst violence in the area's largest city since the rebels seized it in January. The toll from the clashes was not immediately clear. A government statement on Saturday night said 52 people had been killed in and around Goma, though the figure could not be independently verified. Residents reported gunfire and explosions into the pre-dawn hours. "We were sleeping when we heard several shots from different weapons, like rocket launchers," a resident said. After the fighting ended on Saturday, "I saw at least five injured and three dead fighters" in the city who appeared to be members of M23, the resident added. The government statement blamed M23. M23 spokesperson Willy Ngoma posted on X that "calm reigns" in Goma after a "provocation" by elements of Congo's military and pro-government militia fighters known as Wazalendo. Jules Mulumba, a leader of Wazalendo, told Reuters the group was responsible. A Congolese army general also blamed Wazalendo. A statement from Wazalendo said the violence came in response to attacks by Rwandan-backed fighters earlier in the week. The United Nations and Western governments say Rwanda has provided arms and troops to the ethnic Tutsi-led M23. Rwanda has denied backing M23. It says its military has acted in self-defence against Congo's army and a Rwandan militia operating in east Congo that was founded by perpetrators of the Rwandan genocide. President Felix Tshisekedi's government and M23 have sent delegations to Doha for possible Qatar-mediated peace talks to hammer out a ceasefire. M23's rapid advance this year has left thousands of civilians dead, displaced hundreds of thousands more and given the rebels control over much of Congo's eastern borderlands, an area rich in tin, gold and coltan.
Reuters
12-04-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Clashes hit rebel-controlled Goma, largest city in east Congo
April 12 (Reuters) - Clashes between pro-government forces and Rwanda-backed rebels reached Goma in east Congo, residents told Reuters on Saturday, as each side blamed the other for the worst violence in the area's largest city since the rebels seized it in January. The toll from the clashes was not immediately clear. A government statement on Saturday night said 52 people had been killed in and around Goma, though the figure could not be independently verified. here. Residents reported gunfire and explosions into the pre-dawn hours. "We were sleeping when we heard several shots from different weapons, like rocket launchers," a resident said. After the fighting ended on Saturday, "I saw at least five injured and three dead fighters" in the city who appeared to be members of M23, the resident added. The government statement blamed M23. M23 spokesperson Willy Ngoma posted on X that "calm reigns" in Goma after a "provocation" by elements of Congo's military and pro-government militia fighters known as Wazalendo. Jules Mulumba, a leader of Wazalendo, told Reuters the group was responsible. A Congolese army general also blamed Wazalendo. A statement from Wazalendo said the violence came in response to attacks by Rwandan-backed fighters earlier in the week. The United Nations and Western governments say Rwanda has provided arms and troops to the ethnic Tutsi-led M23. Rwanda has denied backing M23. It says its military has acted in self-defence against Congo's army and a Rwandan militia operating in east Congo that was founded by perpetrators of the Rwandan genocide. President Felix Tshisekedi's government and M23 have sent delegations to Doha for possible Qatar-mediated peace talks to hammer out a ceasefire. M23's rapid advance this year has left thousands of civilians dead, displaced hundreds of thousands more and given the rebels control over much of Congo's eastern borderlands, an area rich in tin, gold and coltan.
