African countries on Tuesday condemned attacks on their diplomatic missions in the capital of the Congo as M23 rebels continued their offensive in Goma.
Protesters attacked the French and US embassies, a UN building and several African embassies including Kenya Uganda, and Rwanda.
They accused the embassies of being allies of Rwanda whom they blame for supporting the M23 rebels. The rebels claimed to have taken control of Goma in eastern Congo on Monday.
Kinshasa claimed Rwandan forces were present during the takeover.
Video footage shared by The New Times showed Rwanda’s Embassy set on fire. It said no Rwandan diplomat was present at the time of the attack.
Kenya strongly condemned the attacks and looting of its embassy and described it as a grave violation of international law.
“These unfortunate attacks happened in the full glare of DRC security officers who took no action to mitigate the situation,” said Prime Cabinet Secretary and Foreign Affairs Minister Musalia Mudavadi, adding that two staff members were forced to flee and seek refuge.
Rwanda’s Ambassador-at-large to the Great Lakes Region and former ambassador to Congo, Vincent Karega, condemned the attack on its embassy building which was recently closed because of strained relations with Congo.
“Destruction in Kinshasa of a Congolese investment where until its closure the Rwandan Embassy rented a few m2 of offices,” Karega wrote on X, denoting the size of the space of the embassy. “An unspeakable madness and a process of self-destruction of the DRC. Notorious absence of the State.”
Kenya acknowledged assurances from Congolese Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner who also pledged Tuesday to take measures to restore order and compensate Kenya for damages.
The M23 rebels have intensified their fight against the Congolese army in Goma, targeting the city for its strategic and economic importance. Goma is a gateway to some of the most mineral-rich areas in the world.
The clashes have claimed the lives of 13 South African peacekeepers, three Malawian soldiers and a UN peacekeeper. South Africa has condemned the attack on the peacekeepers. South Africa’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Mathu Joyini, recently told the UN Security Council: ”We deplore these unwarranted attacks against MONUSCO (UN peacekeepers) and the Southern African Development Community Mission in the DRC (SAMIDRC) uniformed personnel who are deployed not only to promote peace, security and stability in eastern DRC but, by extension, in the African Continent in general.’’
At least 25 people have been killed in Goma, as well as nine in Rwanda. Hundreds have been injured in the fighting.
Residents said government forces and rebels control parts of the city of 3 million people, including internally displaced persons.
The eastern Congo is home to vast deposits of valuable resources, including coltan, gold and tin, which are crucial for global industries such as electronics. Analysts believe the M23 rebels want to control those resources to fund their operations and gain leverage in negotiations with the government.
The group claims its fight is also driven by grievances about alleged discrimination against Tutsi communities in the region. They argue that the Congolese government has failed to address their grievances, particularly regarding their safety and integration into the national military.
The Congolese government, however, accuses the M23 of destabilizing the area with external support, particularly from neighboring Rwanda.