Bodies are lying on the streets. Medical staff in overwhelmed hospitals are treating hundreds of wounded civilians against the backdrop of gunfire and explosions. Electricity, water and internet access are cut off,

A Rwanda-backed militia seized the pivotal Congolese city of Goma this week, threatening a new humanitarian crisis after decades of fighting.

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or ...

Goma, Congo — Residents in eastern Congo’s largest city, Goma, were fleeing on Monday after Rwanda-backed rebels claimed to have captured the regional hub from Congolese forces as fighting escalated despite calls from the U.N. Security Council for the insurgents to withdraw.

United Nations and army officials say fighting with M23 rebels in eastern Congo has left at least 13 peacekeepers and foreign soldiers dead.

Goma resident Bahati Jackson’s family has ... Pronczuk reported from Dakar, Senegal, and Lederer reported from New York. Associated Press writer Ignatius Ssuuna in Kigali, Rwanda contributed ...

Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today. From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The ...

Fightings between Rwanda-backed rebels and government forces led thousands of people to flee camps on the outskirts of Goma in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. According to local media ...

In June last year, Rwanda's government spokesperson Yolande Makolo hit out about the presence of mercenaries in eastern DR Congo, saying it was a violation of the Geneva Conventions, which prohibit the use of hired combatants. In response, Congolese government spokesperson Patrick Muyaya dismissed what he called Rwanda's perennial complaint.

In 2012, when M23 rebels appeared poised to seize control of a major city in eastern Congo, western countries suspended aid to put pressure on Rwanda to withdraw its support.

have been keeping M23 away from Goma. The U.N. peacekeeping force entered Congo more than two decades ago and has around 14,000 peacekeepers on the ground. Pronczuk reported from Dakar, Senegal.