Protesters attack US, French embassies in Congo Kinshasa

Protesters have attacked the embassies of the United States and France in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Several other foreign missions came under attack on Tuesday.

Reportedly, in what seemed to be an orchestrated move, the US, French, Belgian, Rwandan, Ugandan, Kenyan and South African embassies all came under attack by angry protesters.

The protesters were demanding that an international effort be coordinated by foreign countries to intervene militarily and stop the advancing M23 rebels occupying parts of the eastern region.

Police fired tear gas but the protesters gained access to parts of the premises, looting and torching the buildings.

The decades-long conflict with the March 23 Movement (M23) has escalated.

Till now, the Congolese army has failed to stop the advancing Rwanda-backed rebel forces, who claimed to have taken the key eastern city of Goma on Monday. However, the Congolese army said it still controlled 80 percent of the city.

The protesters in Kinshasa demanded that the international community mount pressure on Rwanda over the rebel forces’ advance.

"We denounce the international community's hypocrisy," said Timothee Tshishimbi, one of the protesters. "They must tell Rwanda to stop this adventure."

Meanwhile, at least 17 people were killed in Goma on Monday. Residents reported hearing gunfire shots overnight. Explosions and gunfire were also heard near the now-shut Goma airport.

Goma, the region's major business hub with an estimated 2 million permanent residents, has been the scene of heavy fighting between Congolese government forces and M23 rebels with many dead bodies abandoned on the streets.

Hospitals struggle to treat the growing number of casualties wounded by gunshots, mortar, and shrapnel.

“There are currently hundreds of people in hospital, most admitted with gunshot wounds,” said Adelheid Marschang, WHO’s emergency response coordinator for the DRC.

The city also shelters hundreds of thousands of refugees and acts as a main route for the distribution of humanitarian aid to the more than 6 million displaced people spread across eastern DR Congo.

The World Food Programme said food assistance activities in and around Goma “have been temporarily paused” and expressed concern over food shortages.

The prolonged conflict in the region charged with ethnic violence has resulted in one of the world's biggest humanitarian crises.

In 2012, the M23 rebels temporarily took over Goma before being forced to pull out its forces under international pressure.

In 2021, the rebel force regrouped gaining increased support from Rwanda, according to DR Congo's government and UN experts.

“The city is in real difficulty and if it hasn’t fallen overnight, it will in the coming days,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told Sud Radio. “Rwanda must put down its weapons, calm must return and dialogue needs to restart.”

Rwanda has denied the reports of supporting the rebel Tutsi forces by supplying soldiers, weapons, munitions and provisions to them.

Kigali accused the DRC of harboring members of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, a force opposed to President Paul Kagame and involved in the 1994 Rwandan genocide.

Hundreds of armed groups are fighting in eastern DRC, aiming to gain control of parts of the country.

One of the world's biggest lithium deposits is said to be in the country. The metal has medicinal applications and is also used in a variety of rechargeable batteries for electric vehicles, mobile phones, and laptops.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.ir