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Akbar Novruz

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Mass protests continue in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, with demonstrators targeting the French and Belgian embassies, setting fire to diplomatic buildings, Azernews reports. Tires were also burned in front of the U.S. embassy.

The protests, which began earlier with attacks on the French, Rwandan, Belgian, and U.S. embassies, are fueled by anger over French President Emmanuel Macron’s support for Rwandan President Paul Kagame. Demonstrators are demanding military intervention by the international coalition against the M23 rebels, who have intensified their offensive in eastern Congo.

The situation in the east has rapidly deteriorated, with M23 rebels capturing the strategic city of Goma in a swift attack. Reports indicate that in some districts of Kinshasa, daily life has come to a standstill, with schools and businesses shutting down amid the unrest.

The United Nations has reported hundreds of injuries from armed clashes in Goma, with many bodies found in the streets and a sharp rise in sexual violence cases. A large-scale exodus of local residents from the region has begun.

At least 17 international peacekeepers have been killed in the ongoing battles between the M23 rebels and the Congolese army.