Faith Nyasuguta
Rwandan-backed M23 rebels have kidnapped at least 130 sick and wounded patients from two hospitals in Goma, a major city in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the United Nations reported on Monday.
According to UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani, the abductions took place on February 28 when M23 fighters stormed CBCA Ndosho hospital and Heal Africa hospital. The rebels took 116 patients from CBCA and another 15 from Heal Africa, allegedly suspecting them of being Congolese army soldiers or members of the pro-government Wazalendo militia.
“It is deeply distressing that M23 is taking patients from their hospital beds in coordinated raids and holding them incommunicado in undisclosed locations,” Shamdasani said, calling for their immediate release.
Since the beginning of the year, M23 rebels have advanced rapidly across eastern DRC, capturing strategic towns and killing around 3,000 people. Their offensive marks the most significant escalation of violence in the region in more than a decade.
In just three weeks, M23 seized control of Goma, the largest city in eastern DRC, and Bukavu, the country’s second-largest city. The mineral-rich region contains gold and coltan, a key resource for manufacturing capacitors used in electronics such as smartphones and laptops.
The UN has accused Rwanda of supporting the rebels with approximately 4,000 troops. At times, M23 has even threatened to march on Kinshasa, the DRC capital, located over 1,600 kilometers (1,000 miles) away.
Rwanda, however, has claimed that the DRC is recruiting ethnic Hutu fighters responsible for the 1994 Rwandan genocide against Tutsis and moderate Hutus. M23 insists it is fighting to protect Congolese Tutsis and Rwandan-origin communities from discrimination while aiming to reform the DRC into a functional state. However, analysts have dismissed these claims as mere justifications for Rwandan involvement.
The crisis continues to escalate. Last week, a deadly attack in Bukavu left at least 11 people dead and dozens injured after explosions struck a rally organized by M23 leaders.
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