Top United Nations officials sounded an urgent alarm during an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council, warning that the rapid advance of Rwanda-backed M23 rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) threatens to ignite a broader regional conflict.
The rebel group’s recent offensive, which has seen them seize key cities including Goma and Bukavu, has escalated tensions in the mineral-rich Great Lakes region, raising fears of a war that could engulf neighboring countries such as Rwanda, Burundi, and Uganda.
Bintou Keita, the U.N. special envoy for Congo, emphasized the gravity of the situation, stating, “It is imperative that this council takes urgent and decisive steps to avert a wider regional war.”
She highlighted the M23’s lightning three-week campaign, supported by an estimated 4,000 Rwandan troops, according to U.N. experts. The rebels have not only captured Goma, the largest city in eastern Congo, but have since pushed southward, taking Bukavu on February 16 and the border town of Kamanyola on February 18, positioning them at the volatile intersection of Congo, Rwanda, and Burundi’s borders.
“This situation must stop before we see the triggering of a widespread regional war, the consequences of which would be devastating,” he added.
The DRC government has accused Rwanda of orchestrating the M23 offensive to exploit its vast mineral wealth, including gold and coltan, critical for global technology supply chains.
Congolese Foreign Minister Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner demanded the immediate withdrawal of Rwandan forces, calling their presence a blatant violation of sovereignty. In response, Rwanda’s U.N.
Ambassador Ernest Rwamucyo deflected blame, asserting that “African leadership must drive the resolution of this conflict” and criticizing Congo for seeking Western sanctions rather than addressing militias like the FDLR, which Rwanda claims threaten its security due to their ties to the 1994 genocide.
As the M23 continues its southward push toward Bukavu and beyond, the U.N.’s dire warning underscores a critical juncture: without swift, unified action, the conflict could spiral into a regional war, drawing in multiple nations and exacerbating one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises.