Authorities say the governor of eastern Congo’s North Kivu province has died from injuries sustained in fighting on the front line as M23 rebels close in on Goma.

North Kivu is a province bordering Lake Kivu in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. The capital city is Goma.

“The Secretary-General has called for all parties to respect human rights and international humanitarian law. This must be upheld to prevent further suffering,” a UNHCR representative said. Image Credit:

KINSHASA (Reuters) - The military governor of North Kivu province in the Democratic Republic of Congo has died from injuries suffered on the frontline during an offensive by M23 rebels in the east, a government source and an internal UN report seen by Reuters confirmed on Friday.

The military governor of Democratic Republic of Congo's North Kivu province has died from gunshot wounds suffered on the front line during an offensive by M23 rebels, the army said on Friday.

The governor of North Kivu, Major-General Peter Cirimwami, has died in the fighting between the Congolese army and the M23. The Congolese army confirmed the death on Friday, after a meeting of the Defence Council that President Felix Tshisekedi chaired.

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People flee the intensifying fighting in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo region of North Kivu, as the M23, a Rwanda-backed anti-government armed group, almost completely encircles the capital of North Kivu.

The violence in eastern Congo has escalated. Near Goma in North Kivu, 13 peacekeepers have been killed by M23 rebels, while Congo has broken off relations with Rwanda. The North Kivu region is rich in gold and coltan.

In the aftermath of its withdrawal from Goma, the M23 suffered a series of heavy defeats at the hands of the Congolese army, which was backed by a multinational force. The M23 were subsequently expelled from the country. M23 fighters then agreed to be re-integrated into the army in return for promises that Tutsis would be protected.

M23, which refers to the March 23, 2009, accord that ended a previous revolt in eastern Congo, is the latest group of ethnic Tutsi-led insurgents to take up arms against Congolese forces. It launched the current rebellion in 2022.