The head of the UN peacekeeping mission, MONUSCO, Bintou Keita, has called for immediate action to end the crisis in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, saying, “We are trapped.”

Ms Keita made the call while briefing the Security Council on Sunday in New York on the latest developments, as the non-State armed group M23 advances on cities in the east amid reports of deaths and injuries of civilians and peacekeepers.

Spiralling violence and killings in the eastern DR Congo had triggered an emergency Security Council meeting amid peacekeeper and civilian deaths along with sharp calls for action.

Roads are blocked, and the airport can no longer be used for evacuation or humanitarian efforts. M23 has declared Goma airport “closed” and falsely accused FARDC of using it in airstrikes against the civilian population.

“We are trapped. I call on this council to act now to secure the civilian population, humanitarian aid workers, and all United Nations personnel. Today, despite ongoing MONUSCO support to FARDC, M23 and Rwandan forces penetrated Munigi quarter in the outskirts of Goma city, causing mass panic and flight amongst the population,” she said.

The humanitarian coordinator in DR Congo, Bruno Lemarquis, expressed concern regarding the intensification of ongoing fighting around the city of Goma and its growing impact on civilians.

Since the renewed M23 offensives near Goma on January 23, 2025, hundreds of thousands of people have once again been forced to flee multiple active conflict zones, with reception and assistance capacities already overstretched.

Several displacement sites on the outskirts of Goma, hosting more than 300,000 people, have been completely emptied within hours.

Humanitarian actors, including essential personnel who remain operational in Goma, are doing everything possible to address the needs of the most vulnerable civilians despite an alarming deterioration of security in displacement sites and certain neighbourhoods of the city.

The proximity of fighting to densely populated areas and the use of heavy artillery impose intolerable risks on civilians. The emergency capacities of Goma’s hospitals are overwhelmed despite support from humanitarian actors.

“On behalf of the humanitarian community in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, I call on all parties to the conflict to immediately halt the military escalation,” stated Mr Lemarquis. “This violence exacerbates the suffering of populations in eastern DRC and worsens the already precarious conditions of civilians.”

Foreign affairs minister Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner of DR Congo said Rwanda was planning “a brutality” against her country, bringing the region to the brink of tragedy.

“Each minute that is passing without decisive action by this council is a victory for the aggressor,” she said. “The world is watching you. It’s time to act.

Rwanda’s Defence Forces have stepped up attacks, violating the ceasefire agreement and aggravating an already disastrous humanitarian situation.

In Goma, the RDF has blocked roads, endangered civilian and humanitarian flights and continued to attack camps for displaced persons, she said.

The Luanda Process, endorsed by the African Union, has been sabotaged by Rwanda, she alleged, highlighting the plundering of Congolese minerals and attacks on civilians, peacekeepers and humanitarians.

(NAN)