DR Congo, head of UN peacekeeping mission, MONUSCO, Bintou Keita has called for immediate action to end the crisis in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, saying, “we are trapped”

Keita made the call while briefing the Security Council on Sunday in New York on the latest developments, as the non-State armed group M23 advances on cities in the east amid reports of deaths and injuries of civilians and peacekeepers.

Spiralling violence and killings in the eastern DR Congo had triggered an emergency Security Council meeting amid peacekeeper and civilian deaths along with sharp calls for action.

Roads are blocked and the airport can no longer be used for evacuation or humanitarian efforts. M23 has declared Goma airport “closed” and falsely accused FARDC of using it in airstrikes against the civilian population.

“We are trapped.

“I call on this Council to act now to secure the civilian population, humanitarian aid workers, and all United Nations personnel.

“Today, despite ongoing MONUSCO support to FARDC, M23 and Rwandan forces penetrated Munigi quarter in the outskirts Goma city, causing mass panic and flight amongst the population,” she said.

The Humanitarian Coordinator in DR Congo, Bruno Lemarquis, expressed his profound concern regarding the intensification of ongoing fighting around the city of Goma and its growing impact on civilians.

Since the renewed M23 offensives near Goma on January 23, 2025, hundreds of thousands of people have once again been forced to flee multiple active conflict zones, with reception and assistance capacities already overstretched.

Several displacement sites on the outskirts of Goma, hosting more than 300,000 people, have been completely emptied within hours.

Humanitarian actors, including essential personnel who remain operational in Goma, are doing everything possible to address the needs of the most vulnerable civilians despite an alarming deterioration of security in displacement sites and certain neighbourhoods of the city.

The proximity of fighting to densely populated areas and the use of heavy artillery impose intolerable risks on civilians. The emergency capacities of Goma’s hospitals are overwhelmed, despite support from humanitarian actors.

“On behalf of the humanitarian community in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, I call on all parties to the conflict to immediately halt the military escalation.

“This violence exacerbates the suffering of populations in eastern DRC and worsens the already precarious conditions of civilians.”

Foreign Affairs Minister Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner of DR Congo said Rwanda is planning “a brutality” against her country, bringing the region to the brink of tragedy.

“Each minute that is passing without decisive action by this Council is a victory for the aggressor,” she said. “The world is watching you. It’s time to act.

Rwanda’s Defence Forces (RDF) have stepped up attacks, violating the ceasefire agreement, aggravating an already disastrous humanitarian situation.

In Goma, the RDF has blocked roads, endangered civilian and humanitarian flights and continue to attack camps for displaced persons, she said.

The Luanda Process, endorsed by the African Union, has been sabotaged by Rwanda, she stressed, highlighting the plundering of Congolese minerals and attacks on civilians, peacekeepers and humanitarians.

DR Congo will reject any attempt to include M23 in the Luanda Process, which is an agreement between States.

The Security Council must not remain inactive, she said, calling on it to act decisively to, among other things, order the end of hostilities, demand a withdrawal of Rwanda troops on Congolese territory and apply relevant sanctions and an embargo on all minerals labelled as Rwandan.

She also called on the Council to establish a regime to address systematic violations of arms transfers to Rwanda and remove the country from its list of troop-contributing nations. Also speaking,

Ambassadors of Uruguay and South Africa, whose peacekeepers were recently killed by armed groups in DR Congo, appealed to the Security Council to protect UN troops.

Yobe Government and the Biomedical Research and Training Centre (BioRTC), Damaturu, will soon embark on a community-based research project to tackle the increasing cases of kidney disease in the state.

The Senior Special Assistant to Gov. Mai Mala Buni on Media and Public Engagement, Alhaji Ibrahim Baba-Saleh, disclosed this in a statement made available to newsmen in Damaturu on Tuesday.

Baba-Saleh explained that the study, led by researchers from diverse backgrounds in the centre, was intended to tackle the prevalence of the disease in the state, particularly in communities around Yobe River.

“The research brings together a diverse team of experts, including nephrologists, cardiologists, and environmental specialists, to investigate the genetic, environmental, and lifestyle associations of kidney disease.

“The project has garnered support from international partners in the UK, USA, and Ghana as well as numerous collaborators from within Nigeria,” the governor’s aide said.

He recalled that the governor had, earlier in an interaction with the centre’s visiting scholars, urged them to deepen the research on the causes of the disease in Gashua, which is worse-hit, to enable the government to find a lasting solution to the challenge.

He further stated that the Commissioner of Health, Dr Muhammad Gana, who was at a virtual meeting with the team on Monday, said that the global cooperation the research attracted underscored its significance, and potential for positive outcome.

Baba-Saleh added that BioRTC Director, Dr Mahmood Bukar, who was also at the meeting, announced that field work would commence in Gashua in the first week of February.

He further explained that Bukar, who is also the Special Adviser to Buni on Science, Technology and Innovation, argued that the team would collect samples to gain valuable insights into the causes of kidney disease in the area.

“According to previous studies, kidney disease in Yobe is linked to various factors, including hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and environmental factors, such as limited access to clean water and sanitation,” Baba-Saleh quoted the director to have said.

Some health stakeholders have said that Nigeria’s Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs), which serve as the backbone of the country’s healthcare system, are in dire need of revitalisation.

The stakeholder said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja, (more…)