On Tuesday night in Goma, protesters burned UN trucks on fire in an effort to draw attention to their presence there as part of the United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO).
Following the spread of rumours among displaced individuals and city inhabitants that the UN was purportedly transferring rebels from the M23 group, fires broke out.
MONUSCO had earlier on Tuesday declared a “strategic and tactical departure” from the M23-held Rumangabo, which is under attack.
The decision was made “in conjunction with our partners, to better prepare the next steps together,” the mission wrote on Twitter.
“MONUSCO continues mobilised alongside the FARDC (DRC Armed Forces),” it continued.
After severe battle with the military, the rebels doubled their territory and took control of two major cities on Saturday as the situation in the east of the country deteriorated.
The M23 gained notoriety more than ten years ago when its militants took control of Goma, the biggest city in the east of the Congo, which is located along the Rwandan border.
Many of the M23’s fighters were incorporated into the national military following a peace agreement.
The organisation later reappeared in November of last year, claiming that the government had fallen short of its ten-year commitments.
By June, they had taken control of the vital town of Bunagana, which is close to the Ugandan border.
Before the most recent escalation in violence, which is now held responsible for driving at least 40,000 people from their homes in a week, about 200,000 people had already been displaced over the previous year.
