Washington orders its non -essential employees to leave the Democratic Congo

On Wednesday, the United States ordered its non -essential employees to leave the Democratic Republic of the Congo, after gunmen supported Rwanda entered the main city of Guma in the east of the country, prompting angry demonstrators to attack Western embassies.
The Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it “ordered the departure of the non -essential US government employees and all their qualified families,” noting the demonstrations and insecurity in general, and the Foreign Ministry renewed its recommendation to the Americans not to travel to the country.

Violent protests

Earlier on Wednesday, the US State Department confirmed the outbreak of violent protests near “multiple US government facilities” in Kinshasa and the embassies of other countries the day before.

This comes as Rwanda -backed rebels, supported by Rwanda, have made rapid progress and took control of most of the city of Guma in the east of the country after days of bloody fighting.
International forces, including the new American administration headed by Donald Trump, criticized the attack, but the protesters in Kinshasa expressed their anger at the absence of strong international pressure on Rwanda.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed his concern in a telephone conversation on Tuesday with Rwandan President Paul Kagame and urged the immediate ceasefire.