The head of the UN mission in Congo told the Security Council 'we are trapped' as M23 closed in on Goma; peacekeepers stayed in their barracks.
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As M23 rebels advanced on Goma in late January 2025, Bintou Keita, the UN Special Representative for the DRC and head of MONUSCO, told an emergency UN Security Council meeting 'we are trapped', per Al Jazeera, as M23 declared the airspace closed and blocked roads into the city. Security Council Report's account of the briefing says Under-Secretary-General Jean-Pierre Lacroix reported MONUSCO peacekeepers were stationed in their barracks and that the mission was evacuating non-essential staff to Kinshasa and Entebbe. As of January 28, 2025, three MONUSCO peacekeepers from Malawi, South Africa and Uruguay had been killed and 12 others wounded. Goma fell to M23 and the mission did not prevent it, despite a mandate that includes protecting civilians.
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