GISENYI, Rwanda AP β Many of the millions of people trapped in eastern Congo's escalating rebellion face a terrible choice: Retreat into Congo's interior and seek the protection of a weak army in disarray, or cross into nearby Rwanda, which is accused of backing the rebels.
The largely unchecked rebel advance that seized Goma, the region's largest city, this week has raised fresh questions about the inability of Congolese troops and their allies to protect civilians as a decades-long African war revives almost 1, miles from Congo's capital β and a short walk from Rwanda. This time, there are concerns that the M23 will hold Goma as a sort of buffer zone as Rwanda essentially redraws the border with its vastly bigger neighbor in a region estimated to have trillions of dollars in largely untapped mineral wealth like cobalt and gold.
Rebel leaders say they plan to set up an administration in the city. The rebels have claimed multiple victories at the expense of a larger Congolese army that has the support of a 14,strong U.
There are even Romanian military contractors that Rwandan authorities describe as mercenaries. One of the Romanians knelt on the ground, hands behind his head, as rebels sought to usher him and others toward the border crossing.
Sit down. The rebel advance shatters a ceasefire and echoes the M23's capture of Goma over a decade ago, which didn't last long as the international community pressured Rwanda to back off. Rwanda, which has long denied supporting the M23 despite evidence collected by United Nations experts, says it wants to protect ethnic Tutsis in Congo β even as rebel commanders stand accused of exploiting minerals and other natural resources in areas they control.
