Head of the UN peacekeeping mission, MONUSCO, Bintou Keita, has urgently called for action to end the crisis in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, declaring, “We are trapped.”
Keita made this plea while briefing the Security Council on Sunday in New York, as the non-State armed group M23 advances on cities in the east, with reports of civilian and peacekeeper deaths and injuries.
The escalating violence and killings in eastern DR Congo prompted an emergency Security Council meeting amid peacekeeper and civilian casualties and urgent 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,” Keita stated.
She reported that despite ongoing MONUSCO support to FARDC, M23 and Rwandan forces penetrated Munigi quarter on the outskirts of Goma city, causing mass panic and flight among the population.
The Humanitarian Coordinator in DR Congo, Bruno Lemarquis, expressed profound concern regarding the intensifying fighting around Goma and its growing impact on civilians. Since the renewed M23 offensives near Goma on January 23, 2025, hundreds of thousands of people have been forced to flee multiple active conflict zones, with reception and assistance capacities already overstretched.
Several displacement sites on the outskirts of Goma, hosting over 300,000 people, have been completely emptied within hours. Humanitarian actors, including essential personnel still operational in Goma, are doing everything possible to address the needs of the most vulnerable civilians despite the alarming deterioration of security in displacement sites and some neighborhoods of the city.
The proximity of fighting to densely populated areas and the use of heavy artillery pose intolerable risks to civilians. Goma’s hospitals’ emergency capacities are overwhelmed, despite support from humanitarian actors.
