On Tuesday, protesters in the Democratic Republic of Congo attacked and set fire to the United States embassy in the country.
Armed individuals were spotted on the roof of the building as thick black smoke poured from the facility. The demonstrators shouted chants of “death to imperialists”.
This unrest follows Monday’s announcement by the March 23 Movement (M23), a rebel group, that it had taken control of Goma, the largest city in North Kivu province in eastern DRC, causing thousands to flee the area.
Since last week, at least 17 United Nations peacekeepers have died in the ongoing conflict, including three South African peacekeepers who were killed on Monday during a rebel attack at Goma airport.
On Tuesday, M23 forces engaged in fighting to seize control of the airport, seeking to consolidate their dominance over Goma.
The protesters also targeted the embassies of France, Belgium, Rwanda, Uganda, and Kenya—countries they accuse of supporting the rebel group. They expressed frustration at what they perceive as diplomatic inaction from these nations.
Police deployed tear gas to disperse the crowd, several of whom set tyres ablaze.
Jean-Noel Barrot, France’s foreign minister, labelled the embassy attack as “unacceptable” in a post on X, noting that the embassy building briefly caught fire, but the flames were swiftly extinguished.
Musalia Mudavadi, Kenya’s cabinet secretary for foreign and diaspora affairs, expressed his country’s “deep concern” regarding the assaults on its embassy and personnel in Congo. “The violent attacks, looting, and destruction of property are a grave violation of international law,” he remarked.
In a televised address, Patrick Muyaya, the DRC’s communications minister, called on protesters to demonstrate peacefully and to refrain from violence against accredited diplomatic infrastructure. He later assured that the situation was under control.
