G OMA, Democratic Republic of Congo Reuters - Rwanda-backed M23 rebels faced pockets of resistance from army and pro-government militia overnight after entering eastern Congo's largest city Goma in the worst escalation of a conflict that has run for more than a decade. Residents in several neighbourhoods reported small arms fire and some loud explosions on Tuesday morning, particularly close to the airport, which sources said was still held by United Nations peacekeepers and government troops.
South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa spoke to his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame to discuss the recent escalation in Congo, where nine South African peacekeepers have been killed this week, and the pair agreed on the need for a ceasefire.
Another resident in Majengo confirmed gunfire overnight and into Tuesday morning. As the largest city in eastern Congo, Goma is a vital humanitarian hub for the region and gateway for the trade in ores of tantalum and tin, which are used in phones and computers. M23, the latest in a string of Rwandan-backed insurgents who have fought a series of rebellions in the east against Democratic Republic of Congo's central government, took up arms again in , a decade after a previous insurgency.
In recent weeks they made swift gains through North Kivu province, on the border with Rwanda, before closing in on Goma, a city of nearly two million people, and forcing tens of thousands to flee their homes.
They have ignored calls from world leaders to halt their offensive. Rwanda, which previously denied the presence of its military in Congo, has also dismissed calls for troops to leave, saying its country's security is threatened. With troops in both the U. Critics have accused South Africa's government of not doing enough to make sure its troops were properly equipped for the conflict.
