President Felix Tshisekedi cuts Davos short trip as M23 Advance

The president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo has cut short his trip to the World Economic Forum in Davos as a deadly conflict escalates at home.

Fighting has intensified in the eastern Dr Congo region since the start of the year, with Rwanda-backed M23 rebels taking control of more territory than ever before.

More than 400,000 people have fled their homes since the start of this year as M23 advances in the provincial capital of Goma, the United Nations says.

President Felix Tshisekedi flew from Switzerland for urgent security meetings with senior officials.

In recent weeks, the M23 has captured the towns of Masisi and Minova in North Kivu.

More than 200 civilians have been killed in areas captured by the M23, local leaders said Thursday.

And according to the United Nations, two children died after bombs fell on a camp for displaced people.

The fall of Goma, a city of more than a million that lies near the border with Rwanda, would be a major blow to the rebels. They briefly took over the city during a rebellion in 2012, but withdrew after a deal was negotiated.

Numerous roads leading into the city have now been blocked, prompting concerns that food supplies in the city could run out.

“The city of Goma is run in a vice, the city is suffocated, there are no more entrances, there are no more exits… This population is suffering enormously,” local union leader Bahala Shamavu Innocent told the BBC.

Espoir Ngalukiye, a member of the opposition party Pour La Republique, is also concerned about access to food.

“In Goma we are not really safe,” Ngalukiye said. “No one who lives in Goma can tell you that they are not afraid.”

On Thursday, rebels captured the nearby town of Sake, according to the United Nations, the United Kingdom and several other sources.

But the Congolese army said it had repelled the attack on Sake, which is just 20 km (12 miles) from Goma.

Residents of sake and the wider area, many of whom were already displaced by the conflict, have fled their homes.

People escape with mattresses and other essentials on their backs, while dozens pile up on overcrowded wooden boats.

Thousands of panicked families have fled to Goma, where hospitals have been overwhelmed by wounded civilians.

The M23 has been in control of vast swaths of mineral-rich DR Congo as of 2021. Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced as a result.

Last year, there were also fears that rebels would take over Goma. There was a lull in fighting at the end of July, but heavy fighting resumed in October, and worsened towards the end of the year.

Dr. Congo and the UN say that M23 is backed by Rwanda. Rwandan authorities neither confirm nor deny it.

On Friday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that the current conflict risks escalating into a broader regional war.

Guterres called on “all actors to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and end all forms of support for armed groups,” a statement said.