Fighters from the DRC’s Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group claim to have taken the eastern city of Goma. The M23 spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka said on X: ‘We urge all residents of Goma to remain calm. The liberation of the city has been successfully carried out and the situation is under control.’ Videos posted on social media showed people in some areas of Goma lining the streets to applaud fighters said to be M23 soldiers. Residents’ reaction to the arrival of the M23 rebels was mixed. Some residents said the apparently warm welcome was born of self-preservation. M23 says it exists to protect the ethnic Tutsi population in DRC
