Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi has stated that he will not accept defeat to the Rwandan-backed M23 rebels, who have taken control of most of Goma, a major city in eastern Congo.
Tshisekedi urged the people of eastern Congo to resist the rebels as they try to seize more territory. In a televised address late Wednesday, he declared, “The defense of the homeland is sacred,” marking his first public comments since the rebel victory.
“The Democratic Republic of Congo will not give in,” he added, describing the capture of Goma by M23 fighters as “an insult to (Congo’s) history.”
The president vowed to take strong action to drive the M23 out of Goma and called on young Congolese to join the military.
He also promised that his government in Kinshasa was working on an emergency humanitarian plan to assist displaced residents.
Amid the ongoing conflict, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot visited Congo for discussions.
The French Foreign Ministry declared that the situation was unacceptable and must come to an end, demanding the immediate withdrawal of the M23 and Rwandan forces from Congo.
Barrot is also set to push this message during his visit to Rwanda.
In response to the situation, demonstrators in the Congolese capital Kinshasa attacked the French embassy on Tuesday, accusing Western governments of not pressuring Rwanda to halt the rebel attacks in eastern Congo.
Similar protests targeting Western embassies occurred earlier in the year.
The fighting is largely centered around the resource-rich eastern regions of Congo, where militias vie for control over valuable metals like coltan, gold, nickel, cobalt, and copper.
The M23 rebels seized Goma on Sunday and claimed full control by the following day.
While the Congolese army has suffered significant setbacks, Tshisekedi was attending the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, at the time.
Though Goma has fallen to the rebels, some resistance continues in isolated areas of the city.
Goma’s strategic location on the border with Rwanda makes it a key point of contention. Tshisekedi has called the M23 fighters “puppets” of Rwanda, though Rwanda denies supporting the rebels.
The United Nations has repeatedly called on Rwanda to pull out its forces and cease aiding the M23.
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