Demonstrators protest in front of the U.S. Embassy in DR Congo

On Tuesday, January 28, protesters gathered in front of the U.S. Embassy in the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Kinshasa, to demand more international intervention in resolving tensions in the east of the country. This was reported by the Actualite portal.

Among the demonstrators' demands is the withdrawal of M23 ("March 23 Movement") fighters from Goma, the main city in North Kivu.

Demonstrators burned tires in front of the embassy, chanting "Thieves, get out" and calling for more active intervention in the situation by the international community, the report said.

The portal also noted that law enforcers had set up a security perimeter around the building to prevent unrest.

On January 27, M23 leader Cornel Nangaa announced that he had taken control of the city of Goma. The rebels have cut the routes for food and basic necessities to the city from the south.

The situation escalated after the DR Congo government severed diplomatic relations with Rwanda and accused the country of supporting the rebels, who launched a new offensive on the city of Goma. On January 26, the DR Congo's foreign ministry announced the immediate withdrawal of its diplomats in the Rwandan capital of Kigali and ordered the country's embassy in Kinshasa to cease operations within 48 hours.

On January 27, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that Russia was concerned about the situation in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and called on the parties to the conflict to immediately cease hostilities.