FO says 75 Pakistanis stranded in Congo rescued to Rwanda

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s High Commission in Kigali facilitated 75 out of 150 Pakistanis stranded in the conflict-hit Goma city of Congo to reach safe zones in Rwanda, Foreign Office said in a statement on Thursday.

It confirmed that following the recent escalation of conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), around 150 Pakistanis were stranded in the city of Goma.

“So far around 75 Pakistanis have moved to Rwanda,” FO said while acknowledging the role of Pakistan’s High Commissioner in Kigali Ambassador Naeemullah Khan in pursuing the Rwandan authorities to allow the entry of stranded Pakistanis into Rwanda.

The FO further said that the Pakistan High Commission has arranged accommodation and food for the affected Pakistanis and is reaching out to the Pakistani community to identify and reach out to any other citizen in difficulty.

“There is likelihood of more Pakistanis crossing over to Rwanda in the coming days,” the FO said, adding that the High Commission staff is also reaching out to Pakistanis in the border city of Bukavu.

It has requested the affected Pakistanis to contact the High Commission at given numbers should they need any assistance:

Pervez Bhatti, Head of Chancery: WhatsApp +92 333 5328517

According to Rueters, Rwandan-backed M23 rebels extended their advance on Wednesday after seizing the city of Goma while Congo said it planned a campaign to recover the lost territory.

M23 rebels captured Goma, a city of 2 million people and capital of North Kivu province, on Monday. Rwandan forces backed up M23 in Goma, according to Congo, the UN, the US and other Western powers. Rwanda has denied this.

The rebels advanced south on Wednesday in an apparent attempt to expand their area of control. They marched along the western side of Lake Kivu and neared Kavumu, where Bukavu’s airport is located.

In Goma, a hub for displaced people, aid workers, UN peacekeepers and Congolese forces, the rebels were consolidating their hold on the city on Wednesday and patrolling the border with Rwanda.