Residents are trying to recover some of their belongings at the site where their house once stood, now destroyed and set on fire during clashes in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, in Sake, on Jan. 28, 2025. (Credit: AFP)
The Lebanese Foreign Ministry announced Tuesday that it was monitoring developments and events in the cities of Goma and Kinshasa with the Lebanese embassy in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
"In the city of Goma, some Lebanese moved to Rwanda due to the impossibility of heading west towards Kinshasa because of the airport closure and the distance by plane. In the afternoon of January 28, 2025, the Rwandan border was fully opened for a limited time, and about thirty Lebanese, including women and children, were able to cross into Rwanda," the ministry stated, as reported by the state-run National News Agency (NNA).
"The chargé d'affaires at the Lebanese embassy in Kinshasa, Haitham Ibrahim, is working in coordination with Rwandan and Congolese authorities to secure their passage, and a team from the Lebanese community in Rwanda is welcoming the arrivals and meeting their needs as much as possible, under the supervision and follow-up of the Lebanese honorary consul in Rwanda, Rayan Nasr."
It also confirmed that "no injuries have been recorded so far among the community members, although some business interests have been attacked as part of acts of vandalism and theft of private property." It finally advised "members of the Lebanese community to exercise caution and attention" before providing the following numbers to call if needed.
Lebanese honorary consulate in Rwanda: +2250584711000, +250 788 622 111, +250 789 922 984
Lebanese embassy in Kinshasa: +243 900022111, +243 900025222.
Goma, the main city in eastern Congo, awoke Monday in chaos and shaken by heavy artillery fire after fighters from the anti-governmental armed group M23 and Rwandan soldiers arrived the night before.
Kinshasa accused Rwanda on Sunday of having "declared war" by sending new troops to the DRC over the weekend, between 500 and 1,000 men, according to U.N. sources to AFP, while the U.N. called on Rwanda to withdraw its forces from the region. Kigali responded in the evening, emphasizing maintaining a "durable defensive posture" given the fighting that represents "a serious threat to Rwanda's security," according to its Foreign Ministry.