A spokesman of M23 rebels claims Goma airport in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has been captured, news agency Anadolu reports on Tuesday evening.
The main city in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has become a battleground since fighters from the M23 armed group entered central Goma on Sunday after a weeks-long advance through the region.
In the Congolese capital Kinshasa, 1,600 km (1,000 miles) west of Goma, protesters attacked a U.N. compound and embassies, including those of Rwanda, France, and the United States, expressing anger at what they said was foreign interference. Looters also ransacked the embassy of Kenya.
French foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot said in a post on X that the French embassy in Kinshasa was also attacked and briefly caught fire, although the blaze had been brought under control.
Condemnations
Kenya condemned the attack on its embassy in the DR Congo capital Kinshasa on Tuesday, one of several targeted as people demonstrated against the escalating conflict in the country's east.
The fighting has sent thousands of people streaming out of the city, including some who had recently sought refuge there from M23's offensive since the start of the year.
"Kenya is deeply concerned by the attacks on our embassy offices and personnel in Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), by a riotous mob protesting the violent conflict in Eastern DRC," Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Musalia Mudavadi said in a statement.
Uganda's foreign affairs minister, Henry Okello Oryem, confirmed its embassy in Kinshasa was also attacked, labelling it "regrettable."
Crisis summit
Kenyan President William Ruto said earlier this week the Rwandan and DR Congolese leaders will attend an EAC crisis summit on Wednesday.
The African Union said Tuesday it condemned the violence in eastern DR Congo and called on the M23 armed group to "lay down arms."
The African Union's Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace, and Security, Bankole Adeoye, "condemns violence by M23 and all other negative forces and calls for full respect of #DRC's sovereignty, unity & territorial integrity," the organisation said in a post on X.
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