Rwanda-backed rebels were quickly expanding their presence in eastern Congo after capturing Goma, the region’s major city, the UN said on Friday, also expressing concerns over executions it learned were carried out by the rebels following a major escalation of their years-long rebellion.
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UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the World Health Organization and its partners conducted an assessment with Congo’s government between January 26-30 “and report that 700 people have been killed and 2,800 injured” in Goma and the vicinity.
“These numbers are expected to rise as more information becomes available,” he said.
The rebels were now about 60km from South Kivu’s provincial capital of Buakavu and “seem to be moving quite fast,” UN peacekeeping chief Jean-Pierre Lacroix said at a press briefing on Friday. M23 has captured several towns after seizing neighbouring Goma, a humanitarian hub critical for many of the 6 million people displaced by the conflict.
The central African nation’s military has been weakened after it lost hundreds of personnel and foreign mercenaries surrendered to the rebels after the fall of Goma.
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Goma’s capture has brought humanitarian operations to “a standstill, cutting off a vital lifeline for aid delivery across eastern [Congo],” said Rose Tchwenko, country director for Mercy Corps aid group in Congo. “The escalation of violence toward Bukavu raises fears of even greater displacement, while the breakdown of humanitarian access is leaving entire communities stranded without support.”