Rwandan soldiers and rebel fighters seized control of Goma after a brutal three-day battle that left the eastern Congo city in ruins. The combined forces launched their final assault on January 27 using artillery strikes and attack drones against government troops. UN peacekeepers scrambled to evacuate nearly 2,000 staff members as rockets and mortars pounded their compounds. Congolese army commanders fled the city by boat without telling their soldiers they were abandoning the fight. The airport fell under rebel control after hours of intense combat that blocked all escape routes.
President Paul Kagame defended Rwanda's military action by claiming his country faced direct threats from Congo's government forces. The Rwandan leader warned that his troops had walked into a trap set by enemies who wanted to destroy his nation. He accused Congo of supporting genocidal groups that still threaten Rwanda's security decades after the 1994 massacres. Kagame promised safe passage to surrendering soldiers but warned that resistance would bring deadly consequences. The president issued a stark warning that Rwanda would hunt down its enemies even if they had to march 2,000 kilometers to find them.
Five civilians died in Rwanda when shells crossed the border during the fierce fighting around Goma. The lake city remained under tight military control with the airport closed and boat traffic suspended. Kagame dismissed accusations of violating Congo's borders and insisted the operation was necessary to protect his people from genocide supporters.
President Paul Kagame defended Rwanda's military action by claiming his country faced direct threats from Congo's government forces. The Rwandan leader warned that his troops had walked into a trap set by enemies who wanted to destroy his nation. He accused Congo of supporting genocidal groups that still threaten Rwanda's security decades after the 1994 massacres. Kagame promised safe passage to surrendering soldiers but warned that resistance would bring deadly consequences. The president issued a stark warning that Rwanda would hunt down its enemies even if they had to march 2,000 kilometers to find them.
Five civilians died in Rwanda when shells crossed the border during the fierce fighting around Goma. The lake city remained under tight military control with the airport closed and boat traffic suspended. Kagame dismissed accusations of violating Congo's borders and insisted the operation was necessary to protect his people from genocide supporters.
