With the progress of the fighters … 700 dead in Guma, the Democratic Congo

The United Nations announced on Friday that at least 700 dead and 2,800 wounded were killed in the battles that took place between Sunday and Thursday in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo to control the city of Guma.
The M -23, backed by Rwanda, took control of Goma, the largest city in the eastern Democratic Congo, as it advanced south while the Congolese army is trying with young volunteers to repel it.

The battles in Goma

“The World Health Organization and its partners, along with the government, held an evaluation between January 26 and yesterday, and reported that 700 people were killed and 2,800 people were wounded,” said the international health organization spokesperson Stephen Dujarric.

Goma was controlled after battles that occurred during the week, and M23 promised to continue crawling to the capital Kinshasa.
“If we look at the past, this matter could ignite a broader regional conflict,” the Undersecretary of the United Nations Secretary-General of the Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroho said at a press conference.

Diplomatic efforts

He continued: “Therefore, it is very important that all diplomatic efforts are focused on avoiding this and stopping hostilities.”

Lakroa stressed that “the situation is still tense and fluctuated in Goma, with the continued shooting from time to time inside the city,” but he touched on a “gradual restoration” of calm.
He also expressed concern about the fighters south towards the large city of Bocafo in southern Kivu.
He said: “M2 and the Rwandan Defense Forces have become, according to the information available to me, about 60 km north of Boukavo,” noting “apparently rapid progress” to these fighters.

He warned of the dangers of M2 and the Rwandan forces controlled Kavomo Airport in southern Kivu.

Region resources

The Democratic Congo accuses Rwanda of launching an attack to exploit the resources of the region, especially the minerals used in global electronics.

A report prepared by UN experts in July supported these allegations, and concluded that Rwanda has thousands of soldiers in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and that it “dominates the fait accompli” the M23, which Rwanda denied, which stresses that it seeks to eliminate fighters linked to genocide It took place in 1994.