Relief agencies from the United Nations have warned of a major humanitarian crisis in the Congolese city of Guma, where hospitals were overwhelmed by the losses and bodies located in the streets.
The United Nations Refugee Agency, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, said that thousands of people flee “multiple active conflict areas.”
Relief agencies said that their warehouses with food and medical supplies were looted as the M23 rebels continue to battle to control the city.
Anger was growing on the M23 attack, calling for peace talks to end the fighting.
“Hospitals are sunk. There are currently hundreds of people in the hospital, and the greatest of them suffer from fireworks,” Reuters news agency quoted Adelaid Marsang, Coordinator of Emergency Responsibility at the World Health Organization of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said that the hospital received more than 100 wounds in just 24 hours, a number previously received for a month.
She said this forced her employees to convert the hospital parking into a sorting unit.
He added that the use of heavy artillery in densely populated areas causes serious injuries, especially among children.
Both the ICRC and the World Food Program say their warehouses have been looted in recent days.
Reports say at least 17 people were killed and nearly 400 people were wounded.
On Tuesday, South Africa said that four of its soldiers, who were in Dr. Congo as part of peacekeeping efforts, had died as a result of clashes with M23.
This brings the total number of South Africa losses to 13. Malawi and Uruguay also lost peacekeepers.
South African President Cyril Ramavusa spoke on Monday to his Rwandan counterpart, Paul Kagami, with the two agreed to an urgent need for a ceasefire and peace resumption.
The African Union is scheduled to host an emergency meeting later on Tuesday.
Late Monday, the President of the Congo Congo Felix Chesikde held a meeting with the leaders of some state institutions to assess the situation in the city.
“Our soldiers and the pro -government militia are continuing Wazalendo, he held certain positions in the city.”
He said that the president will later address the nation on this issue, without giving specific details.
Since Friday, Goma has been cut off from electricity and water, and Mr. Camera said that the government is working hard to restore it to the city.
He said that the government was also seeking diplomatic and political solutions to the crisis.
This came when the new US Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned the M23 attack in a call with TSHISECEDI.
In a statement, the US State Department said that the leader of the Congolese agreed to the need to restart peace talks “as soon as possible” with Rwanda, who was accused of supporting the rebels.
Mr. Rubio also spoke to Kenya President William Roto, and agreed to push peace talks forward. A meeting called by the Kenyan leader between TSHISECEDI and Kagame called on Wednesday.
The Congolese government also requested another meeting of the United Nations Security Council – asking this time a difficult measure against Rwanda
During a meeting in the state of United Nations on Sunday, Dr. Kongo demanded the sanctions against Rwanda, saying that its forces had crossed their territory while it was a “declaration of war.”
After the meeting, the United Nations condemned the progress of M23 and “continuous, flagrant disregard for the regional sovereignty and integrity of Dr. Congo”, including the presence of “external forces.”
In the past, Rwanda denied the direct support of the M23, but the United Nations peacekeeping commander, Jean -Pierre Lacroix, said that there is no doubt that its forces were supporting the rebels.
In the capital Kinshasa, angry demonstrators burned parts of the French embassy on Tuesday to express his discontent with the M23 attack.
They stormed the streets, restricts blood circulation, burns tires and disrupts traffic.
Smoke columns can be seen ascending as parts of the embassy rose in fire.
Some residents preferred to monitor the day of the “dead city”, after an invitation from civil societies to stay at home in solidarity with Goma.
Adogen Foulkees reports in Geneva and Emery Makomino in Kinshasa
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