'A mourner on every corner': Goma death toll surpasses 770
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The Congolese government has stated the need for mass graves to bury residents and army fighters who were killed in combat against M23 rebels in the city of Goma.
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Members of the Congolese Red Cross collect bodies of alleged members of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC), who lost their lives fighting against M23 rebels on the street of Goma, Congo, on January 30, 2025. (AP)
At least 773 people were killed in the captured city of Goma and its surroundings in the Democratic Republic of Congo, as fighting continues against the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels, who seized the city earlier last week.
According to Patrick Muyaya, a Congolese government spokesperson, 773 bodies and 2,880 injured people were transported to the city's morgues and hospitals, noting that the death toll could be higher.
"These figures remain provisional because the rebels asked the population to clean the streets of Goma. There should be mass graves and the Rwandans took care to evacuate theirs," he said on Saturday.
A Friday evaluation conducted by the World Health Organization, its partners, and the Congolese government, corroborated the figures. UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric stated that 700 people had been killed and 2,800 injured in Goma and surrounding areas from January 26 to 30.
Hundreds of civilians were returning to Goma on Saturday after M23 militants cleaned up the streets and rid them of debris and blood, claiming they would restore basic services including water and power.
One resident, whose relative was killed in the fighting, said "I’m tired and don’t know which way to go. On every corner [there] is a mourner."
DRC recaptures villages as M23 continues its advance
Although the Congolese military suffered major losses, weakening its ability to confront the rebel attacks, alongside the departure of mercenaries hired for defense, the army was able to recapture the fallen villages of Sanzi, Muganzo, and Mukwidja in South Kivu’s Kalehe territory, two anonymous civil society officials told the Associated Press.
Meanwhile, UN peacekeeping chief Jean-Pierre Lacroix said Friday that M23 and Rwandan forces were about 37 miles (60 km) north of Bukavu after advancing rapidly along Lake Kivu, warning that capturing a nearby airport would be a significant development.
M23 rebels began their advance toward Bukavu on Wednesday, moving from Minova along Lake Kivu’s western side. If successful, they would hold territory not controlled by previous rebellions since Congo’s major war ended 20 years ago. To reach Bukavu, they would need to seize Kavumu, home to the city's airport, and confront Burundian troops reinforcing Congo’s defenses.
Read more: Rwanda-backed M23 advances in DRC as volunteers mobilize to fight back
