Over 700 Killed In DRC Clashes As UN Warns Of Escalating Violence

The death toll from ongoing clashes between Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) forces and M23 rebels has risen dramatically within days, surpassing 700 casualties.

According to the DRC health ministry, as of Thursday, 773 bodies had been counted in hospital morgues in and around Goma, the capital of North Kivu province.

This marks a sharp increase from Monday’s toll of 71, the day M23 rebels seized control of Goma in their latest territorial expansion.

Goma, a resource-rich city with vast reserves of gold, coltan, and tin, has been at the center of intense fighting.

The conflict has also led to widespread destruction, with humanitarian agencies struggling to assess the full impact amid reports of looted aid warehouses and offices.

Spokesperson for the United Nations (UN) secretary-general, Stephane Dujarric, reported that around 2,800 people have been injured in the clashes, with figures expected to rise.

“Humanitarian organizations in Goma continue to assess the impact of the crisis including the widespread looting of warehouses and the offices of aid organizations,” Dujarric added.

The M23 rebel group, widely believed to be supported by Rwanda, has accused the Congolese government of failing to uphold previous peace agreements.

Meanwhile, the UN’s Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, warned that the rebels are advancing rapidly toward Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu province.

Burundian President Évariste Ndayishimiye has also raised alarms over the escalating violence, cautioning that the crisis in eastern DRC could spiral into a full-scale regional war.

“If Eastern Congo does not have peace, the region has no peace. If it continues like this, war risks becoming widespread in the region.

“If Rwanda continues to make conquests… I know that war will even arrive in Burundi,” President Evariste Ndayishimiye warned in remarks posted on social media Saturday.