High-ranking officer killed as clashes rage in eastern DR Congo

File photo taken on April 11, 2024 shows Peter Cirimwami, the military governor of North Kivu, in an interview in Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). (Xinhua/Wang Guansen)

KINSHASA, Jan. 24 (Xinhua) -- Peter Cirimwami, the military governor of North Kivu, a province under a state of siege in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), died amid violent hostilities and advances by the March 23 Movement (M23) rebels, authorities confirmed on Friday.

Cirimwami was struck by gunfire on Thursday during a visit to the front line and died while being evacuated for medical treatment, Sylvain Ekenge, a spokesperson for the DRC military, announced during a briefing.

This incident occurred amid violent clashes between the DRC military and the M23 rebels, who have taken control of Sake, a strategically important town considered the last barrier to Goma, the capital of North Kivu province.

Panic has spread among displaced people throughout Goma, a key city in the region that was under M23 control for 10 days in 2012. Several foreign embassies have issued alerts, advising their citizens to leave North Kivu while airports and borders remain operational.

In response, DRC President Felix Tshisekedi said that "the aggressor should be tracked down, pushed far from Goma, and pursued until the entirety of the national territory is reclaimed."

Loud explosions from hostilities between the DRC military and M23 have been heard around Sake. Guillaume Njike Kaiko, a spokesperson for the DRC military in North Kivu, said on Friday that the fighting to liberate Sake, now occupied by the M23, is still underway.

"We have already halted the enemy's advance toward Goma. At this moment, we urge the population to remain calm because our armed forces are fully engaged on the front lines against the enemy. We assure you that the army will restore order on the ground," he told Xinhua over the phone.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed concern over the resumption of hostilities by the M23. According to a statement issued by his spokesperson Stephane Dujarric on Thursday, Guterres condemned M23's renewed offensive since the beginning of this year and its expansion into North Kivu and South Kivu provinces, including the recent capture of Sake, which has heightened the threat to Goma.

As the offensive has caused devastating losses among the civilian population and increased the risk of a broader regional conflict, Guterres called on the M23 to immediately cease its offensive, withdraw from all occupied areas, and respect the ceasefire agreement implemented last August.

The ongoing conflict has worsened the humanitarian situation in the region, displacing over seven million people. About 237,000 people have been forced to flee their homes since the beginning of 2025, according to the United Nations. ■