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700 killed, 2,800 injured in DR Congo City Of Goma since Sunday – UN
At least 700 people have been killed since Sunday in intense fighting in Goma, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s North Kivu province, a UN spokesman said Friday.
Rwandan-backed armed group M23 has seized Goma, the biggest city in the country’s east, and is advancing south as volunteers and the struggling Congolese army attempt to beat them back.
“The World Health Organization and its partners conducted an assessment with the government” between Sunday and Thursday, said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for the UN secretary-general.
They reported that “700 people have been killed and 2,800 people injured that are receiving treatment in health facilities,” he said.
Goma was taken after fighting earlier this week, and M23 fighters have vowed to march to the capital Kinshasa.
“If you look at the past, this has the potential of triggering a wider regional conflict,” UN peacekeeping chief Jean-Pierre Lacroix said during a press conference.
“Therefore it is of the utmost importance that all diplomatic efforts should be geared toward avoiding this and bringing about the secession of hostilities,” he said.
In Goma, “the situation remains tense and volatile, with occasional shooting continuing within the city,” Lacroix said, but added that calm has been “gradually restored.”
Lacroix said he is concerned about the fighters’ advance towards the south, towards the large city of Bukavu, in South Kivu.
“The information I have is that M23 and RDF are about 60 kilometers (37 miles) north of Bukavu,” he said, referring to the Rwanda Defence Force, and added that they “seem to be moving quite fast.”
One risk is that they might capture the Kavumu airport, also in South Kivu, he said.
The Democratic Republic of Congo accuses Rwanda of seeking to profit from the region’s wealth of minerals which are used in global electronics — a claim backed by UN experts which say Kigali has “de facto control” over the M23.
Rwanda denies this — and any military involvement — saying its primary interest is to eradicate a group composed of Hutu militants formed in the wake of the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
AFP
The Minister of State for Defence, Dr Bello Muhammad Matawalle, and Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Gwabin Musa, arrived in Maiduguri, Borno State, on Friday for a high-level operational visit to Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), the military’s counter-insurgency campaign in the North East.
The visit, according to a statement by Ahmad Dan Wudil, the minister’s media aide, aims to evaluate the troops’ operational readiness, boost morale among frontline personnel, and review strategies to restore lasting peace and stability in the region.
The statement underscored the Armed Forces of Nigeria’s commitment to safeguarding the nation’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The trip comes amid growing concerns over resurgent attacks by Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in Borno State.
Earlier this month, Governor Babagana Zulum warned that the security situation was deteriorating, with insurgents dislodging military formations in areas such as Wulgo, Wajiroko, and Sabon Gari.
Zulum urged the federal government and security agencies to act decisively to prevent a reversal of the gains made in the fight against insurgency.
“While we appreciate the tremendous support from the federal government and the military, the current shift in focus away from the North East risks undermining our progress,” Zulum said, highlighting the need for renewed efforts to curb the escalating violence.
The minister’s visit signals a renewed commitment to addressing the security challenges in Borno, where sporadic attacks have raised fears among residents and displaced communities.
Operation HADIN KAI remains a cornerstone of Nigeria’s efforts to combat insurgency and restore stability to the troubled region.
By Israel Bulus, Kaduna
As Nigeria joins the global community to mark World Malaria Day 2025, the Caleb Danladi Foundation has stepped up its efforts to combat the disease, with a special focus on protecting vulnerable populations.
Aligning with this year’s theme, “Malaria Ends With Us: Reinvest, Reimagine, Reignite,” the Foundation facilitated the re-enrollment of hundreds of women, children, and other at-risk groups into the Kaduna State Health Insurance Scheme.
Founder of the Foundation, Captain Caleb Danladi, disclosed that the organisation fully funded the beneficiaries’ insurance premiums to enhance their access to malaria prevention and treatment services.
Speaking during Friday’s commemoration, Danladi lamented that malaria continues to claim countless lives, particularly in underserved communities.
“Healthcare is a right, not a privilege,” he said. “On this World Malaria Day, we reaffirm our commitment to saving lives through direct support, strong advocacy, and strategic investments in community health solutions.”
He emphasised the need for sustained investments in healthcare and a reimagined approach to delivering equitable services across communities.
Danladi also urged government agencies, healthcare workers, and development partners to strengthen collaboration efforts aimed at eradicating malaria, noting that safeguarding the health and dignity of Nigerians especially women and children is a shared responsibility.
The Director-General (D-G) of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, stated that Africa would be minimally impacted by the tariffs imposed by the President of the United States of America (USA), Donald Trump.
Okonjo-Iweala made the remark during an interview with Nigerian journalists at the Spring Meetings of the World Bank in Washington D.C. on Friday.
She explained that only 6.5 per cent of Africa’s exports go to the USA, while 4.4 per cent of its imports come from the U.S., meaning that the impact on the continent would be minimal.
“The trade of the continent is very limited with the USA. We have done the analysis, and the impact on the continent as a whole is not significant,” she said.
However, she noted that Africa’s limited trade with the USA was also not ideal, as it hindered economic growth.
The D-G emphasised that Africa needed to focus on utilising its own resources to reach its full potential, as aid was declining, and the continent required more investment.
She pointed out that Africa must strengthen internal trade, citing Lesotho as an example.
In spite of Lesotho exporting 200 million dollars’ worth of textiles to the USA, the country faced challenges due to the shrinking U.S. market.
Okonjo-Iweala noted that Africa spent 7 billion dollars annually on importing textiles, suggesting that Lesotho should instead focus on selling textiles within African markets.
She also urged the USA to consider the effects of tariffs on least-developed countries, calling for a reassessment of the reciprocal tariffs in poorer nations.
Okonjo-Iweala concluded that Africa needed more investments and should work towards boosting intra-Africa trade, which remained underdeveloped.
“We cannot trade more externally, where our trade is only 3 per cent of world trade, or internally, where intra-Africa trade is 16 to 20 per cent at most,” she said.(NAN)