Thousands flee as M23 rebels close in on key Goma city

Tens of thousands of people are fleeing cities in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo as rebels close in on the city of Goma.

Explosions and gunfire were heard in the city – home to more than a million people – late Sunday night, according to local media reports.

A spokesman for the Rebel Group told Reuters news agency that its forces would take control of Goma at 0300 local time (0100 GMT).

It comes hours after Dr Congo’s foreign minister accused Rwanda of declaring war by sending troops over the border to support M23 rebels. Rwanda says Kinshasa is supporting militias seeking regime change in Kigali.

Kenya has called for a ceasefire and announced that the presidents of both Dr Congo and Rwanda will attend an emergency regional summit in the next two days.

Kenyan President William Ruto, the current chairman of the East African Community, said it was imperative that regional leaders help facilitate a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

Meanwhile, on the ground, M23 rebels called on Congolese troops in Goma to surrender to avoid bloodshed.

The group has taken control of vast swathes of mineral-rich eastern DR Congo since 2021. Over the past few weeks, the group has been making rapid progress on Goma amid intense fighting.

From the beginning of 2025 more than 400,000 people have been displaced in North and South Kivu, provinces near the border with Rwanda, according to the UN refugee agency.

One displaced woman, Alice Feza, said she was at a loss as to what to do next as she had fled Kiwanja, Rutshuru, Kibumba and now, Goma.

“People are running everywhere and we don’t know where to go anymore because we started running a long time ago,” said Ms. Feza, adding, “The war is catching us here among the host families, now we have nowhere to go.”

Key roads around Goma are blocked and the city’s airport can no longer be used for evacuation and humanitarian efforts, the UN said.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called on Rwanda to withdraw its forces from DR Congo and the M23 rebel group to halt its advance on Goma.

Guterres, in a statement through his spokesman, called on Rwanda to “cease support for M23 and withdraw from the territory of the DRC”. He also called on M23 to “immediately cease all hostilities and withdraw from occupied areas”.

It comes after 13 soldiers serving with peacekeeping forces were killed in clashes with the rebels.

The UK called for an end to attacks on peacekeepers, while France’s UN representative Nicolas De Riviere echoed Guterres’ call for Rwanda to withdraw its troops from Dr Congo.

Both Dr Congo and the UN say the M23 group is backed by Rwanda.

Rwanda has not denied this, but the country’s leaders have blamed Dr Congo for the current conflict.

Speaking at the Security Council meeting, Rwanda’s UN representative Ernest Ruamuchio said she regretted that the international community had chosen to condemn the M23 group rather than the Congolese army, which it said violated the ceasefire.

On Saturday, the UN said it would withdraw all its non-essential personnel from Goma. Major operations continue in Dr. Congo.