🇧🇷❗️🇨🇩 — The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that the Brazilian Embassy in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), was attacked amid protests over the invasion by rebels and Rwandan Army forces. In a statement, the ministry confirmed that embassy staff were unharmed and that the Brazilian flag "was removed and taken by the crowd"

"The Brazilian government expresses grave concern over the attacks on foreign diplomatic missions that occurred today, January 28, in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, including the Brazilian Embassy, whose flag was removed and taken by the crowd," the statement read.

📝 The Itamaraty emphasized that the chargé d'affaires and embassy staff "were not harmed in this incident" and expressed confidence that the Congolese government would act to contain the crisis. The diplomatic missions of the United States, France, Belgium, and Rwanda were also targeted.

➡️ Summary of events:

On Sunday (26), troops of the Tutsi-led M23 rebel movement, supported by the Rwandan Armed Forces, invaded Goma, the largest city in eastern DRC, with a population of one million.

Protests erupted amid the conflict, and demonstrators attacked several diplomatic missions in the country's capital. Tires were burned in front of embassy buildings, and looting was reported. Among the embassies affected were those of the United States, France, Belgium, Uganda, and Rwanda.

The protesters denounced the silence and inaction of governments in response to the escalating crisis and demanded greater international involvement in the peace process.

The M23 resumed armed activity in November 2021 with lightning attacks against the Congolese Army in North Kivu. In March 2022, the group launched an offensive marked by the recurring capture and loss of cities.

Since then, M23 has advanced on multiple fronts, reaching the outskirts of Goma, a city of around two million residents that hosts international NGOs and UN institutions. The group previously occupied Goma for ten days in 2012.

Since 1998, eastern DRC has been engulfed in conflict fueled by rebel militias and the Congolese Army, despite the presence of the UN peacekeeping mission in the country.

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