Belgians warned not to travel to Congo as violence continues
The Belgian Foreign Affairs ministry has updated its travel advice for the Democratic Republic of Congo, advising against all travel to the country. The warning comes as violence rages in the eastern city of Goma, where at least 100 people have been killed and another 1,000 wounded in the past three days.
Rwanda-backed M23 rebels entered the eastern Congo city of Goma on Sunday and now appear to be largely in control. Fighting between the rebels and the Congolese army continues in and around the city: according to the UN, more than 100 people have been killed and at least 1,000 injured in fighting since Sunday's invasion.
Unrest is also growing in other parts of the DRC. On Tuesday, angry protesters attacked the Belgian embassy in Kinshasa, setting fire to the compound's gate. They accuse Belgium and other Western countries of not doing enough to stop Rwanda.
"Rallies and protests are possible throughout the country. These could quickly turn violent"
As a result, the Belgian FPS Foreign Affairs updated its travel advice for the whole country on Wednesday. Belgians planning to travel to the DRC are advised to postpone their trip, and those currently in Goma are asked to leave the area while it is still possible.
"The travel advice has been adapted in response to recent developments in the country that could affect the safety of Belgians on the ground," the ministry said. "Rallies and protests are possible throughout the country. These could quickly turn violent."
No peace in sight
Both the US and China have called for an end to the fighting. US secretary of state Marco Rubio called for the territorial integrity of the DRC to be respected, while China's ambassador to the UN urged Rwanda to stop supporting the M23 rebels.
But there is little hope of improvement in the short term. Kinshasa and Kigali have severed all diplomatic relations, and Congolese president Félix Tshisekedi refused to attend a virtual summit - organised by the Kenyan government - with his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame on Wednesday.
© PHOTO AFP
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