75 Pakistanis moved to Rwanda amid escalation of Congo conflict: FO
Abdullah Momand | AFP Published January 30, 2025 Updated about 7 hours ago
A vehicle of the United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo drives near their compound, amid clashes between M23 rebels and the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in Goma, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, Jan 30. — Reuters
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Join our Whatsapp channelThe Foreign Office (FO) said on Thursday that 75 Pakistanis have been moved to Rwanda amid the ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
DR Congo’s president has vowed a “vigorous” military response against Rwandan-backed fighters who advanced further in the mineral-rich east of the country after seizing most of the region’s main city, where residents tentatively ventured out today.
The M23’s capture of most of Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, is a dramatic escalation of a decade-long conflict that has seen it seize swathes of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
It is one of a string of armed groups in eastern DRC that has been plagued by internal and cross-border violence for the past three decades, partly traced back to the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
In a press release issued today, the FO said around 150 Pakistanis were stranded in Goma following the conflict’s escalation.
“With the active engagement of Pakistan’s High Commissioner in Kigali Ambassador Naeemullah Khan, the Rwandan authorities have allowed the entry of stranded Pakistanis into Rwanda. So far, around 75 Pakistanis have moved to Rwanda.”
The FO added that the Pakistan High Commission in Kigali has arranged accommodation and food for those affected and is also reaching out to the Pakistani community to identify and gain access to any other citizens in difficulty.
“There is likelihood of more Pakistanis crossing over to Rwanda in the coming days. The high commission staff is in contact with every individual who has asked for assistance and help. Furthermore, the high commission is also reaching out to Pakistanis in the border city of Bukavu.”
It said any affected Pakistani requiring assistance could contact the high commission at (+92 333 5328517) on WhatsApp.
The violent uptick has sparked international concern, with regional blocs in Eastern and Southern Africa calling emergency summits, and the UN, United States, China and European Union urging an end to fighting.
DRC President Felix Tshisekedi, in his first remarks since the latest crisis began, said in a late-night address a “vigorous and coordinated response against these terrorists and their sponsors is under way”.
He blasted the “silence and inaction” of the international community, calling it an “affront” in the face of an “unprecedented worsening of the security situation” that could lead “straight to an escalation” in the broader Great Lakes region.
Local sources told AFP late on Wednesday that Kigali-backed fighters were advancing on a new front and had seized two districts in South Kivu province.
The Congolese army has yet to make a statement about the M23 advances.
After days of intense clashes that left more than 100 dead and nearly 1,000 wounded, according to an AFP tally, some residents ventured out today to take stock.
“We do not want to live under the thumb of these people,” one person, who wished to remain anonymous, told AFP.
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