President Felix Tshisekedi cuts short Davos trip as M23 advance

The Democratic Republic of Congo’s president has cut short his trip to the World Economic Forum in Davos as a deadly conflict escalates back home.

Fighting has intensified in DR Congo’s eastern region since the start of the year, with the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels seizing control of more territory than ever.

More than 400,000 people have fled their homes since the start of this year as the M23 advances on the provincial capital of Goma, the United Nations says.

President Felix Tshisekedi flew back from Switzerland for urgent security meetings with top officials.

Over the past few weeks, the M23 has captured the towns of Masisi and Minova in North Kivu.

More than 200 civilians have been killed in areas captured by the M23, local leaders said on Thursday.

And according to the United Nations, two children died after bombs fell on a camp for displaced people.

The fall of Goma – a city of over a million that lies close to the border with Rwanda – would be a major coup for the rebels. They briefly took over the city during a rebellion in 2012, but withdrew after a deal was brokered.

Numerous roads leading towards the city have now been blocked, sparking concerns that food supplies in the city might run out.

“The town of Goma is held in a vice, the town is suffocated, there are no more entrances, there are no more exits… this population is suffering enormously” local union leader Bahala Shamavu Innocent told the BBC.

Espoir Ngalukiye, a member of the opposition party Ensemble pour la Republique, is also worried about access to food.

“In Goma we are not safe for real,” Mr Ngalukiye said. “No-one who lives in Goma can tell you that he doesn’t have fear.”

On Thursday the rebels captured the nearby town of Sake, according to the United Nations, the United Kingdom and various other sources.

But the Congolese army said it had repelled the attack on Sake, which lies just 20 km (12 miles) from Goma.

Residents of Sake and the wider area – many of whom were already displaced by the conflict – have fled their homes.

People are escaping carrying mattresses and other such essentials on their backs, while dozens pile into overcrowded wooden boats.

Thousands of panicked families have fled towards Goma, where hospitals have been overwhelmed with injured civilians.

The M23 has taking control of vast swathes of mineral-rich eastern DR Congo since 2021. As a consequence, hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced.

Last year, it was also feared the rebels would seize Goma. There was a lull in fighting in late July, but heavy fighting resumed in October, and worsened towards the end of the year.

The DR Congo and the UN say the M23 is backed by Rwanda. The Rwandan authorities neither confirm nor deny this.

On Friday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that the current conflict risks escalating into a broader regional war.

Mr Guterres called on “all actors to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and to put an end to all forms of support to armed groups,” a statement said.