Democratic Republic of Congo President Félix Tshisekedi has vowed a "strong and coordinated" response to reclaim the city of Goma, which was seized by M23 rebels earlier this week.
In a televised address on Wednesday, Tshisekedi accused Rwanda of supporting the M23 insurgency, calling the rebel group a "terrorist organization." He stated that he had convened emergency meetings with government and military officials to assess the situation and plan countermeasures.
Earlier on Wednesday, nearly 300 foreign mercenaries hired by the Congolese government surrendered to the rebel group. Recruited to bolster DR Congo’s underfunded and disorganized army, the mercenaries reportedly worsened the conflict due to a lack of coordination.
After being cornered alongside remnants of Congo’s army and allied militias, the fighters surrendered to United Nations peacekeepers, who facilitated their repatriation through Rwanda. Before crossing the border, one of the mercenaries was publicly reprimanded by an M23 spokesperson in front of journalists.
Rwanda, which diplomats claim supports M23 fighters, called for a ceasefire in eastern Congo and urged the Congolese government to negotiate with the rebels. However, Kigali has denied any involvement in the conflict.
Rwanda’s foreign minister told Reuters that fighting in Goma itself had stopped because the city was now under M23 control.
Meanwhile, residents in Goma reported ongoing looting and sporadic gunfire in the city.
The Congolese government considers M23 a “terrorist group” and has refused to engage in direct negotiations with them.
M23 rebels are reportedly advancing south from Goma in an apparent bid to expand their controlled territory. Videos circulating on social media show armed fighters moving along the rebels' reported route, though it remains unclear which side the individuals belong to.
The rebels' rapid territorial gains in mineral-rich eastern Congo since the start of the year follow the collapse of peace talks between Kinshasa and Kigali in mid-December.
The US will host the official signing of a peace agreement between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda, the State Department announced Friday.
42 thousands of secondary school students sat for state exams in rebel-held eastern Congo this week, a complicated logistical feat requiring rare cooperation between the government and M23 rebels.
Officials in Congo are hopeful that ongoing negotiations with the United States will yield a landmark investment agreement in critical minerals, alongside a peace deal with Rwanda to end a deadly rebellion in eastern Congo, by the end of June.
The Democratic Republic of Congo and M23 rebels issued identical statements on Wednesday pledging to pursue peace after more than a week of talks in Qatar, where violence and mutual distrust dominated the agenda.
The Democratic Republic of Congo has suspended former President Joseph Kabila’s political party and ordered the seizure of his assets over allegations of supporting M23 rebels in the country’s conflict-ridden east.
The Netherlands has officially returned 119 Benin Bronzes to Nigeria, more than a century after they were looted during Britain’s 1897 invasion of the former Kingdom of Benin, now in southern Nigeria.
President Donald Trump announced that US forces struck three Iranian nuclear facilities, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan, marking direct American involvement in the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday held a series of high-level meetings in Istanbul with senior officials from the UN, Qatar, Pakistan, and Iran, amid growing regional tension following Israel's attacks on Iran.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched another wave of drone attacks on Israel overnight, in what it calls the 19th round of strikes targeting strategic sites across the country.
A hot air balloon carrying 21 people caught fire and crashed Saturday in southern Brazil, killing eight and injuring at least 13 others, local authorities said.
Iranian missiles struck multiple locations across Israel and neighbouring regions early Friday morning, including a Microsoft office complex, according to emergency responders and local media reports.
A high-speed tram derailment in central Gothenburg, Sweden, has left at least eight people injured late on Thursday (19 June), after the vehicle slammed into a snack bar on Avenyn Avenue.
The 2025 G7 Leaders’ Summit was held June 15–17 in Kananaskis, Alberta, under Canada’s presidency. Prime Minister Mark Carney framed the meeting around priorities of protecting communities, energy and climate security, the digital transition, and future partnerships.
The USS Nimitz is heading to the Middle East amid tensions between Israel and Iran. The U.S. aircraft carrier has a decades-long history in the region, from the 1979 hostage crisis to modern deployments, often serving as a key asset during periods of rising friction with Iran.
China has unveiled a mosquito-sized bionic drone designed for covert military operations and battlefield reconnaissance, marking a major advance in micro-robotics and stealth technology as part of the country’s growing focus on next-generation warfare capabilities.
Eight men were arrested Friday morning following a violent clash near the Iranian embassy in London, police confirmed.
The Netherlands has officially returned 119 Benin Bronzes to Nigeria, more than a century after they were looted during Britain’s 1897 invasion of the former Kingdom of Benin, now in southern Nigeria.
President Donald Trump announced that US forces struck three Iranian nuclear facilities, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan, marking direct American involvement in the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday held a series of high-level meetings in Istanbul with senior officials from the UN, Qatar, Pakistan, and Iran, amid growing regional tension following Israel's attacks on Iran.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched another wave of drone attacks on Israel overnight, in what it calls the 19th round of strikes targeting strategic sites across the country.
The Netherlands has officially returned 119 Benin Bronzes to Nigeria, more than a century after they were looted during Britain’s 1897 invasion of the former Kingdom of Benin, now in southern Nigeria.
President Donald Trump announced that US forces struck three Iranian nuclear facilities, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan, marking direct American involvement in the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday held a series of high-level meetings in Istanbul with senior officials from the UN, Qatar, Pakistan, and Iran, amid growing regional tension following Israel's attacks on Iran.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched another wave of drone attacks on Israel overnight, in what it calls the 19th round of strikes targeting strategic sites across the country.
A hot air balloon carrying 21 people caught fire and crashed Saturday in southern Brazil, killing eight and injuring at least 13 others, local authorities said.
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