(Bloomberg) -- A rebel group aligned with Rwanda says it seized a key trading hub in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, raising the prospect of a full-blown war between the two Central African nations.
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The M23 rebel group said all Congolese military personnel must hand over their weapons to UN peacekeepers and assemble at Goma’s main stadium. Congo’s government and army have not confirmed the city has fallen.
“We urge all residents of Goma to remain calm,” the M23 said in a statement posted on X. “The liberation of the city has been successfully carried out.”
A city of two million people that lies on the border with Rwanda, Goma is at the nexus of trade routes for natural resources including tantalum and tin ore — minerals used in electronics such as mobile phones. The US, Congo and United Nations experts accuse M23, which already controls the region’s biggest tantalum-ore mine, of smuggling minerals to Rwanda.
Spokespeople for Congo’s government, army and the office of President Felix Tshisekedi didn’t respond to multiple calls and messages requesting comment, nor did a spokesperson for Rwanda’s government.
M23 broke away from Congo’s army more than a decade ago and is one of more than 120 rebel groups fighting in the region. Conflict between the two sides has intensified in recent months, causing the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people, exacerbating an already dire humanitarian crisis.
Congo, the US and UN officials say M23 is backed by thousands of soldiers from neighboring Rwanda, which Rwandan President Paul Kagame denies.
‘Declaration of War’
Last month, Congo sued Apple Inc. in Belgium and France for allegedly buying minerals from Rwanda that had been “pillaged” from Congo. Apple disputed the charges and said it asked its suppliers to stop sourcing minerals from the area.
Congolese Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner told the UN Security Council in an emergency meeting on Sunday that Rwandan troops were crossing the border near Goma and her country considered Kigali’s support for the M23 advance a “declaration of war.”
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Wagner asked that the Security Council demand the withdrawal of Rwandan troops from Congo, outlaw weapons sales to the country, and sanction Rwandan politicians and army officials. She also asked the council to call for an embargo on the purchase of all minerals sold by Rwanda, particularly gold and coltan, a source of tantalum.