Violence in Congo-Kinshasa

UN warns of ethnic violence in Congo-Kinshasa

The UN peacekeeping force in Congo is warning of ethnic violence in the region after three days of fighting, AFP reports. The force has documented at least one case of ethnically motivated lynching in a refugee camp in Goma.

The Rwandan-backed rebel force M23 has taken control of the city of Goma and its airport, according to AP. This means a greatly worsening situation in one of Africa's longest wars and risks worsening the humanitarian situation.

Al Jazeera reports on dead bodies left on the city's streets, looting and power outages. Already in the 1990s and 2000s, several million people died when armed groups fought over the region's rich mineral resources such as copper, cobalt, lithium and gold.

Half a million displaced in Congo: “Global responsibility”

The half a million people who have been driven to flee by the fighting in Congo-Kinshasa several times in the past month are a global responsibility. This is what Matthew Saltmarsh, spokesman for the UN refugee agency UNHCR, says, according to All Africa.

– They have been forced to flee from one combat zone to another. The capacity to receive and help those in need is exhausted, he says.

Even before the latest outbreak of fighting, over five million Congolese were in refugee camps. The situation for women and girls who are at risk of sexual violence is particularly worrying, according to the UN.

The Rwandan-backed rebel force M23 has been carrying out an offensive for several days and on Tuesday took control of the city of Goma and its airport, writes Reuters. The most important route for food aid has thus been cut off.