At least 773 bodies have filled hospital morgues in and around Goma following a brutal offensive by Rwanda-backed M23 rebels, Congo’s health ministry said Saturday. More bodies remain on the streets as fighting overwhelms hospitals.

The ministry said 2,880 people were wounded between Jan. 26 and Jan. 30 as the rebels seized Goma, the capital of North Kivu province. The region is rich in gold, coltan, and tin, resources long at the heart of Congo’s conflicts.

After taking Goma, the M23 rebels advanced toward Bukavu in South Kivu but were reportedly stalled Friday by Congolese forces backed by Burundi’s army.

The latest escalation has worsened an already dire humanitarian crisis. Thousands of civilians fled to Goma in recent weeks, joining hundreds of thousands already displaced by previous clashes.

Aid agencies struggled to operate amid intense fighting, with reports of looted warehouses, overwhelmed hospitals, and humanitarian workers caught in the crossfire.

Médecins Sans Frontières warned it was running out of medicine and had stopped assisting displaced people. The World Food Program suspended operations, citing security concerns.

Daily life resumes amid crisis

Despite the destruction, daily life tentatively resumed in Goma on Saturday. Power and water were partially restored, schools were set to reopen, and displaced residents were encouraged to return home. Markets reopened, but food remained scarce. The mobile internet was still down.

Civilians push their belongings on a wooden handcart known as Tshikudu as they flee after heavy gunfire that raised fears of M23 rebels advancing along a road from Sake near Goma in the North Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of Congo February 9, 2023.

Reuters

The U.N. has reported widespread human rights violations, including summary executions, the bombing of displacement camps, and sexual violence.

Three humanitarian sources confirmed that displaced people were leaving the camps, though conditions remain precarious. Corneille Nangaa, head of the Alliance Fleuve Congo, which backs M23, said efforts were underway to shift from “humanitarian aid to development.”

Army pushes back, fighting stalls

Fighting appeared to have stalled Saturday as the Congolese army pushed back. Local leaders reported that government forces had retaken villages in Kalehe territory, halfway between Goma and Bukavu.

Congolese volunteers and former rebels gather in a rally to mobilise against the possible M23 rebels invasion in Bukavu, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo January 30, 2025.

Reuters

Burundi has reinforced Congolese troops in South Kivu. On Friday, Burundian President Évariste Ndayishimiye warned against any Rwandan military incursion, vowing retaliation if Rwanda escalates the conflict.

Rwanda denies supporting M23, claiming it only acts in self-defense. Congo, in turn, accuses Rwanda of backing the rebels to exploit the country’s mineral wealth.

The latest violence has drawn international condemnation and renewed calls for a ceasefire.