The governor of eastern Congo's North-Kivu province has died from injuries sustained during fighting on the front line, authorities said Friday, January 24, as M23 rebels closed in on the provincial capital. M23 made significant territorial gains in recent weeks, encircling Goma, which has around two million people and is a regional hub for security and humanitarian efforts.
The circumstances around the death of Major General Peter Cirimwami were unclear, but Cirimwami, who led army operations in the restive North Kivu, visited troops on the front line in Kasengezi, around 13 kilometers from Goma, on the day of his death. His death Thursday was confirmed by a governmental source, a military source and a UN source Friday, all of whom spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on the matter publicly.
On Thursday, panic spread in Goma as rebels took control of Sake, a town only 27 kilometers from the provincial capital and one of the last main routes into the city still under government control, according to the UN chief. On Friday, the DRC army and M23 clashed outside Goma as the United Kingdom, United States and France urged citizens to leave the main city in DR Congo's volatile east, warning that the situation could deteriorate rapidly.
M23 is one of about 100 armed groups that have been vying for a foothold in mineral-rich eastern Congo, along the border with Rwanda, in a decadeslong conflict that has created one of the world's most significant humanitarian crises. The fighting has displaced more than seven million people. Earlier this month, M23 captured the towns of Minova, Katale and Masisi, west of Goma. M23 seized Goma in 2012 and controlled it for over a week.
Congo, the United States and UN experts accuse Rwanda of backing the M23, mainly composed of ethnic Tutsis who broke away from the Congolese army over a decade ago. Rwanda's government denies the claim but last year admitted that it has troops and missile systems in eastern Congo to safeguard its security, pointing to a buildup of Congolese forces near the border. UN experts estimate there are up to 4,000 Rwandan forces in Congo.