At least 700 people have been killed over the past week in Goma, the largest city in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. According to the UN, over 2,800 people have also been injured as Rwandan-backed M23 rebels took control of the city and are now reportedly moving south toward the city of Bukavu. Observers believe that M23’s war with government forces, which displaced 400,000 people in January alone, could quickly spiral into a regional war.
Is diplomacy an option at all? On Friday, the 16-nation South African Development Community called for a summit with eight member countries of the East African Community to “deliberate on the way forward regarding the security situation in the DRC. Rwandan leader Paul Kagame skipped the virtual meeting but was present at an earlier one on Wednesday, which DRC President Felix Tshisekedi did not attend. While Kigali expressed support for a summit, other states accuse it of backing M23 – something it denies.
How is the international community reacting? Germany has canceled aid discussions with Rwanda, and the United Kingdom is reevaluating its assistance as well. US President Donald Trump described the crisis this week as a “very serious problem,” and the State Department has advised US citizens to evacuate. But Western governments’ long-running support for Rwanda is tempering their response – creating the potential for China and Russia to gain more regional influence.
