The east of the Congo falls into the chaos, with Goma theater of ferocious clashes between the Congolese army and the M23 armed group supported by Rwandawhose soldiers entered on Sunday evening with the rebels in the main city of the region. The heavy fights caused dozens of deaths (over one hundred) and a thousand injuries not only among civilians, but also between the soldiers deployed in the context of two regional forces and the UN in support of Kinshasa. The latter asked the United Nations penalties against Kigali, whose reinforcements to M23 would represent “a declaration of war”. The clashes also put the laboratory on the EBOLA in Goma at risk, according to the alarm launched by the Red Cross, for which violence can cause the escape of virus champions and other pathogens preserved in the structure of the National Research Institute Biomedical “with unimaginable consequences if the champions were to spread”. The tensions for the escalation of the harmful conflict led demonstrators to attack the embassies of France, Belgium, Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya in the capital Kinshasa. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani had an interview with the ambassador of Italy to Kinshasa, whose headquarters were not attacked and is in constant contact with the 15 compatriots who remained in the country, largely religious, cooperating and residents .
Farnesina has made it known that it carefully follow the disorders in the African nation, inviting the crisis unit or the Embassy to Kinshasa for any need. The EU has attracted “to the protection of diplomats, according to the Vienna Convention”, also condemning “the renewed offensive of the M23 supported by the Rwandan armed forces” in violation of the ceased the agreed fire. Accusations that echo to those of the international community: the UN has in fact denounced the “clear contempt” for Congolese sovereignty also defended by the new American secretary of state, Marco Rubio, during a phone call with the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo . But no condemnation seems to stop the advance of the rebels and the Rwandan troops, who also took control of Goma airport.
The world food program (PAM) was forced to suspend food aid in the city, already affected by lack of food. The European Commission has announced new humanitarian aid “for an initial value” of 60 million euros intended for the Congo in 2025, but without peace no support will be able to raise a population prostrated by years of violence with over 400 thousand displaced only this year, according to Recent UN estimates. In the emergency meeting convened today, the Council of Peace and Security of the African Union urged the M23 to “lay down weapons” and “a peaceful solution of the conflict”. With the same auspices, the president of Kenya and the community of Eastern Africa, William Ruto, invited his Congolese counterpart, Félix TSHisekedi, and Rwandese, Paul Kagame, “listening to the appeal of peace that comes from the population of our region and by the international community ». Mostly rich in minerals, the Congolese eastern region is the scene of attacks of over one hundred armed groups including the M23, which resumed its raids at the end of 2021 in the province of North Kivu. It is a territory sadly known also to the national news after the killing that took place on 22 February 2021 of the Italian ambassador Luca Attanasio with the carabiniere of the escort Vittorio Iacovacci and the driver of the UN convoy on which they traveled, Mustapha Milambo.