On Tuesday, demonstrators in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) attacked and set fire to the U.S. embassy building as unrest escalated in the country.
Armed individuals were seen on the embassy’s roof while thick black smoke billowed from the structure. Protesters chanted slogans, including “death to imperialists.”
The violence comes amid intensifying conflict in eastern DRC. On Monday, the March 23 Movement (M23), a rebel group, claimed control of Goma, the largest city in North Kivu province, triggering mass displacement. Since last week, at least 17 United Nations peacekeepers have been killed, including three South African soldiers who died in an attack on Goma’s airport on Monday.
M23 forces continued their offensive on Tuesday, aiming to seize full control of the airport.
In addition to the U.S. embassy, protesters also targeted the embassies of France, Belgium, Rwanda, Uganda, and Kenya, accusing these nations of supporting the rebel group or failing to take diplomatic action. Some demonstrators burned tires, while police deployed tear gas to disperse the crowds.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot condemned the attack as “unacceptable,” stating that while the French embassy briefly caught fire, the blaze was quickly contained. Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, Musalia Mudavadi, also expressed deep concern over the attacks on its diplomatic offices and personnel, calling the violence a “grave violation of international law.”
In a televised address, DRC’s Communications Minister Patrick Muyaya urged protesters to demonstrate peacefully and avoid attacking diplomatic missions. He later assured that authorities had regained control of the situation.
