Source: Mission Network News, January 31, 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n
[On January 31], Rwandan-backed M23 fighters captured Goma<\/a>, a key city in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo bordering Rwanda. A city of 2 million already, Goma was crammed with an additional 300,000 people fleeing M23\u2019s advance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Government leaders of the DRC called Goma\u2019s fall a \u201cdeclaration of war\u201d<\/a> by Rwanda. In the days since then, M23 has captured more cities<\/a>. It\u2019s an advance that could escalate an already deeply conflicted region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Greg Kelley with Unknown Nations says [these] events can be traced back to the 1994 Rwandan genocide. But another key factor is the DRC\u2019s extraordinary wealth of natural resources, Kelley says. The DRC is rich in minerals such as gold, diamonds, and cobalt. Other powers want access to these resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Millions of Congolese are paying for this conflict-turned-humanitarian-crisis. Kelley says the global church must remember the gospel call as the hands and feet of Christ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Read the full story<\/a>. Let\u2019s pray for those in this volatile region. See the INcontext video below for some ways to pray.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At this writing, M23 has declared a ceasefire for humanitarian reasons<\/a> (Al Jazeera and other sources).<\/p>\n\n\n\n