UN Security Council announces emergency meeting amid fighting in DR Congo

The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on the situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It will be held on Sunday, January 26. The relevant decision was made in connection with the intensified fighting in the territory of the state, reports the newspaper Le Monde.

Initially, the meeting was planned to be held on Monday, January 27. However, against the background of recent events, it was decided to postpone it a day earlier.

The situation escalated after the DR Congo government accused Rwanda of supporting the rebel group "March 23 Movement" (M23), whose members launched a new offensive on the city of Goma, located on the border with Rwanda. Fierce clashes continued throughout Saturday, January 25. Now there is no electricity, water supply and mobile communication in the city. According to the newspaper, 13 peacekeepers were killed in the clashes.

On the same day, the chairman of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, called for an immediate end to the war and also expressed support for efforts to resolve the conflict.

Earlier, on January 25, it was reported that DR Congo recalled its diplomats from Rwanda and demanded that the country cease diplomatic and consular activities in the Congolese capital Kinshasa within 48 hours. The decision came amid growing tensions between the two countries.

The M23 rebel group led by ethnic Tutsis is named after the March 23, 2009 agreement that ended a previous Tutsi rebellion. The rebels accuse the government of not honoring the peace agreement to fully integrate Congolese Tutsis into the army and administration. The DR Congo government accuses Rwanda of supporting the rebels.