Rwanda-backed rebels claimed they captured eastern Congo’s strategic city of Goma, the hub of a region containing trillions of dollars in mineral wealth that remains largely untapped, the Associated Press reported. The offensive has sent thousands fleeing their homes, in addition to 1 million displaced who are already in Goma, and stretched hospitals to the limit, with hundreds of wounded coming in every day as civilians get caught in the crossfire.
In photos: Conflict in Democratic Republic of Congo
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Armed men drive through a street in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo, Jan. 28, 2025. Gunshots rang out through parts of the besieged city of Goma as Congolese soldiers clashed with militia fighters backed by Rwandan troops.
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Congolese refugees fleeing ongoing clashes in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo arrive at the Rugerero transit camp in Gisenyi, Rwanda, Jan. 28, 2025. An estimated 1,200 Congolese refugees have been officially received by Rwanda, an official told AFP as armed forces entered the city of Goma just across the border.
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People attack the Rwanda Embassy in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Jan. 28, 2025, in protest over the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels' advances into the eastern capital Goma.
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Protesters clash with riot police forces in front of the French Embassy in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Jan. 28, 2025.
