The Democratic Republic of Congo has requested an emergency session of the UN Human Rights Council to discuss the situation in the eastern city of Goma.

A UN spokesperson on Tuesday said the meeting was paramount after Goma was seized by Rwanda-backed M23 rebels.

According to the spokesperson, Congo requested the session to take place on February 7 in Geneva, but the request is still subject to approval.

On January 28, the security council convened its second emergency meeting in three days to address the escalating crisis in Goma.

The Deputy Head of the UN Stabilisation Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO), Vivian van de Perre, provided a detailed briefing from Goma.

She highlighted the dire humanitarian situation and the need for “urgent and coordinated international action” to stop the fighting between Rwanda-backed M23 rebels and Congolese forces as they battle for control of the city.

Ms Perre reported that the recent clashes have led to massive displacement, with over 178,000 people fleeing Kalehe territory after the M23 took control of Minova.

More than 34,000 of those on the run have sought refuge in already overcrowded IDP sites in and around Goma, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis and overwhelming the city’s infrastructure. 

(Reuters/NAN)