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 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.
A passenger boat caught fire and capsized late Tuesday on the Congo River, killing at least 50 people and leaving hundreds more missing, officials confirmed Wednesday. The tragedy occurred near the northwestern town of Mbandaka in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Rwandan-backed M23 rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo have withdrawn from the strategic town of Walikale, describing the move as a goodwill gesture ahead of planned peace talks with the government next week.
Thomas Lubanga, a convicted war criminal, has announced the formation of the Convention for the Popular Revolution (CPR) in eastern Congo's Ituri province, posing a new security threat as Congo's army faces advances by Rwandan-backed M23 rebels.
Baku hosted the 6th plenary meeting of the UN’s GlobE Network, gathering anti-corruption officials from 92 countries to strengthen global cooperation and chart the network’s next steps.
The suspect in the fatal shooting of two Israeli embassy aides in Washington has been charged with first-degree murder, the U.S. Justice Department confirmed.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has condemned the fatal shooting of two embassy staffers in Washington as a vile act of antisemitic violence, intensifying fears of growing hostility toward Israelis abroad amid mounting global tensions.
G7 finance leaders meeting in Canada pledged to tackle global imbalances and suggested tougher sanctions on Russia, while also taking aim at unfair economic practices widely attributed to China.
A tragic plane crash early Thursday morning shook a quiet residential neighborhood in San Diego, California. According to officials, there are two dead, eight injured.
Tensions flare in the India-France Rafale deal as France refuses to share the fighter jet’s source code, limiting India’s ability to integrate indigenous weapons and reducing its combat autonomy.
France has rejected India’s request to share source codes needed to integrate indigenous weapons into Rafale fighter jets. Despite repeated appeals, French manufacturer Dassault Aviation has refused to compromise on the issue
AnewZ and Kazakhstan’s Jibek Joly/Silk Way TV channel co-hosted a special AnewZ Talks in Astana at Maqsut Narikbayev University (MNU), uniting global experts and young leaders at Silk Road Media Group’s journalism school to explore the growing intersection of media and diplomacy.
Anton Kobyakov, adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin, claimed at the St. Petersburg International Legal Forum that the USSR’s dissolution was legally invalid and that the Soviet Union still exists under constitutional law, framing the Ukraine war as an “internal process.”
The Tehran Dialogue Forum 2025, scheduled for May 18–19, will host 200 international guests, including 40 current and former European officials.
Meta has signed another major solar energy agreement, acquiring 650 megawatts (MW) of clean power capacity across Kansas and Texas to support the rapid expansion of its AI-driven data centers, the company confirmed Thursday.
Canadian Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne said Thursday that tariffs were a key point of discussion during the G7 finance ministers’ meeting, despite the issue being omitted from the final communique.
The suspect in the fatal shooting of two Israeli embassy aides in Washington has been charged with first-degree murder, the U.S. Justice Department confirmed.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has condemned the fatal shooting of two embassy staffers in Washington as a vile act of antisemitic violence, intensifying fears of growing hostility toward Israelis abroad amid mounting global tensions.
A tragic plane crash early Thursday morning shook a quiet residential neighborhood in San Diego, California. According to officials, there are two dead, eight injured.
Baku hosted the 6th plenary meeting of the UN’s GlobE Network, gathering anti-corruption officials from 92 countries to strengthen global cooperation and chart the network’s next steps.
The suspect in the fatal shooting of two Israeli embassy aides in Washington has been charged with first-degree murder, the U.S. Justice Department confirmed.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has condemned the fatal shooting of two embassy staffers in Washington as a vile act of antisemitic violence, intensifying fears of growing hostility toward Israelis abroad amid mounting global tensions.
G7 finance leaders meeting in Canada pledged to tackle global imbalances and suggested tougher sanctions on Russia, while also taking aim at unfair economic practices widely attributed to China.
A tragic plane crash early Thursday morning shook a quiet residential neighborhood in San Diego, California. According to officials, there are two dead, eight injured.
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