26.9 C
Lagos
Wednesday, February 19, 2025
spot_img

DR Congo bans protests after attack on embassies

Congolese authorities have banned protest demonstrations in Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s capital, following violent protests targeting France, the United States (US), and other embassies after denouncing inaction of the international community over the conflict raging in Goma, the main city in the country’s east.

The government added that the decision was made after many embassies shut down their operations and urged their citizens to leave the troubled zones to avoid joining the casualties’ lists.

Before the ban, the angry protesters, either on foot or motorcycles, hundreds of angry demonstrators responding the call to the “Paralyse the City”.

The demonstrators, who were mainly youths, gathered in the upscale district of Gombe in the north of Kinshasa and targeted the embassies of Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, France, Belgium, and the United States.

They accused Rwanda and Uganda of actively supporting the armed group M23 which, after a lightning offensive in North Kivu province with the support of Rwandan troops, entered the regional capital, Goma, on Sunday.

The Kinshasa Governor, Daniel Bumba, who announced the ban on protest, urged citizens to resume their normal activities and conduct business freely.

Separately, in a video posted on social media on yesterday, Congo’s Deputy Interior Minister Eugenie Kamba blamed Rwanda for the attacks on embassies in the capital city, which it rejected.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, spoke over the phone with Rwandan President, Paul Kagame, yesterday, urging an immediate ceasefire in eastern Congo, according to spokesperson Tammy Bruce.

Rubio stressed that the US is “deeply troubled by the escalation of the ongoing conflict in eastern DRC, particularly the fall of Goma to the Rwandan-backed M23 armed group.”

Rubio called for an immediate ceasefire in eastern Congo and for all parties to respect sovereignty and territorial integrity.

In a post on social media, Kagame described the discussions with Rubio as productive as it was on the need to ensure a ceasefire in Eastern DRC and address the root causes of the conflict.

The M23 rebel group, allegedly backed by Rwanda, has intensified its offensive in eastern Congo, capturing key towns and advancing toward Goma, the capital of the North Kivu province.

Since last week, at least 42 people, including 17 foreign peacekeepers, have been killed in Goma, with hundreds injured in ongoing clashes between the Congolese army and rebel forces.

Rwanda claims that at least nine of its citizens were killed in an alleged cross-border exchange of gunfire from Goma.

Meanwhile, Congo’s Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner told the UN Security Council on Tuesday that over 100 people have been sent to health centers in recent days, more than 500,000 displaced, and that the humanitarian situation has deteriorated further.

Amid disputed reports about who controls Goma city, a Congolese official told the Security Council that government forces, backed by UN and Southern Africa regional peacekeepers, “continue to fight bravely in Goma.”

The M23 group claims that its fight is also driven by grievances about alleged discrimination against Tutsi communities in the region. They claim that the Congolese government has not addressed their concerns, particularly about their safety and integration into the national military.

The Congolese government, on the other hand, accuses the M23 of destabilizing the region with external support, primarily from neighboring Rwanda.

Related Articles

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Stay Connected

0FansLike
0FollowersFollow
0SubscribersSubscribe
- Advertisement -spot_img

Latest Articles