Five civilians have been killed and 25 seriously injured in the Rwandan border town of Gisenyi, located near Goma in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
The Rwandan army confirmed the deaths and injuries, though they did not provide further details. Spokesperson, Ronald Rwivanga, confirmed that the incident occurred on the outskirts of Gisenyi, a border town adjacent to Goma. There have been reports of ongoing clashes in the area.
The violence has been escalating, with reports of intense gunfire and the landing of mortars on the Rwandan side of the border.
Humanitarian groups, including CARE International, have been forced to withdraw due to the dangerous conditions.
“Throughout last night, there was intense gunfire. This morning, the situation worsened, with what appeared to be mortar or shell fire landing on the Rwandan side of the border,” Maina Kingori, a representative of the global NGO CARE International overseeing operations in Gisenyi said.
The fighting has intensified since militia fighters and Rwandan troops entered Goma, a city of around one million people, on Sunday.
This violence is worsening an already dire humanitarian crisis, and international observers are calling for a ceasefire to prevent further destabilisation of the region.
