DAKAR, Senegal — The United Nations reports that rebels from the M23 group, backed by Rwanda, have abducted at least 130 ailing and injured individuals from two hospitals in Goma, a key city in eastern Congo. On February 28, M23 fighters conducted raids on the CBCA Ndosho Hospital and the Heal Africa Hospital in Goma, a city that the rebels recently captured. This was disclosed by Ravina Shamdasani, a spokesperson for the U.N. Human Rights Office, in a statement.
The rebels reportedly took 116 patients from the CBCA hospital and an additional 15 from Heal Africa. The individuals were suspected of being soldiers from the Congolese army or affiliated with the Wazalendo militia, a group that supports the government.
“It’s extremely troubling that the M23 group is executing coordinated attacks to abduct patients directly from hospitals and detaining them in unknown locations, isolated and without contact,” Shamdasani remarked, urging for their expedient release.
Since the beginning of the year, M23 rebels have aggressively advanced through eastern Congo, taking over major cities and causing the deaths of around 3,000 people. This marks the most severe surge in conflict seen in the region in over ten years.
In a swift three-week campaign, M23 successfully took control of Goma and expanded their hold by seizing Bukavu, the region’s second-largest city. Eastern Congo is known for its wealth in minerals such as gold and coltan, a crucial component used in making electronic devices like laptops and smartphones.
According to U.N. experts, the rebels are supported by approximately 4,000 troops from Rwanda. The group has made statements threatening to push as far as Kinshasa, the capital of Congo, which is over 1,000 miles away.
Rwanda has accused Congo of mobilizing ethnic Hutu fighters who were involved in the 1994 genocide against Tutsis and moderate Hutus in Rwanda. The M23 claims its battle is aimed at defending Tutsis and Congolese of Rwandan descent from discrimination, with ambitions of transforming Congo into a modern state from its current state of turmoil. However, analysts argue that these reasons are merely justifications for Rwanda’s involvement.
Last week, at least 11 individuals lost their lives and many more were injured when explosions occurred during a rally in Bukavu organized by M23 leaders.
