Hundreds of young Congolese men took to the streets of Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), on Monday to protest the capture of Goma, a strategic eastern city, by M23 rebels.

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The demonstrators expressed their anger by barricading roads and targeting embassies in Kinshasa. The embassies of Rwanda, Uganda, France, and the United States were attacked, with the French embassy being vandalized and set on fire.

Protesters accuse these governments of supporting Rwanda, which UN experts have previously claimed backs the M23 rebels. Rwanda has denied these allegations, countering that the DRC is providing support to Hutu militias opposed to Kigali’s government.

The M23, a rebel group that reemerged in late 2021, has been advancing across the DRC’s North Kivu province, culminating in their claim of capturing Goma on Monday. Goma is the provincial capital and a critical hub in the mineral-rich region.

The capture of Goma has raised alarms internationally. The African Union (AU) and the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) are set to hold emergency meetings to discuss strategies to de-escalate the conflict and prevent further destabilization.

The situation in Goma remains volatile, with continued fighting reported between M23 rebels and Congolese government forces for control of the city.

The DRC-Rwanda tensions have historical roots, stemming from the 1994 Rwandan Genocide and the subsequent fallout that destabilized the region. Rwanda has long accused the DRC of harboring Hutu militias, while the DRC accuses Rwanda of exploiting its instability to back rebel groups such as the M23 for economic and strategic interests.

This latest unrest is part of a broader pattern of violence that has displaced millions in the eastern DRC, underscoring the urgent need for international intervention and a durable peace solution.

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