Congolese soldiers solemnly moved through the streets of downtown Goma – with white bands around their heads and their hands empty of guns.
They are battered from days of non-stop fighting and surrendering to the Rwandan-backed M23 rebels taking control of the regional capital and humanitarian hub.
Congolese soldiers laid down their fatigues on the road near the watch posts we saw them in just 24 hours before. The sounds of nearby shelling break the sombre mood.
The sense of capture is palpable. But some soldiers are still fighting.
There are pockets of resistance in streets across town and the sounds of automatic gunfire and shelling are almost constant.
Image: Congolese soldiers were seen moving through the streets of Goma after surrendering
Our hotel has become a shelter for some families waiting to see what happens next. As the hours of battle drag on, some are sleeping on couches in the lobby. The hotel staff watch the windows as the fight comes to the street in front of our gate.
“I am scared but hoping peace will prevail. I am concerned for my family because I haven’t seen them since yesterday. I have only been communicating with them over the phone,” says 27-year-old driver Bahati Jean Claude.
“I just want the conflict to end. I don’t care who is in charge of Goma, all I care about is peace.”
Peace is far from reality in Goma right now – at least 17 people have been killed and 370 injured. Prisoners who had been working to escape the central prison on Monday morning managed to break out by the afternoon. Looting was reported in the airport and other parts of town.
In a day of echoing blasts and the crack of bullets, the sounds started from a different direction. High-level security sources in town confirmed mortars and artillery coming from Rwanda as we heard the shift.
What is the fighting in Democratic Republic of Congo about – and is Rwanda invading?
Conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) risks spilling over into a regional war, it is feared, as Rwanda-backed rebels claim to have captured the key city of Goma.
The leader of a rebel alliance that includes the M23 group said fighters have taken the city, after making significant territorial gains in recent weeks.
Hundreds of people are being wounded every day as fighting in the central African country continues, worsening the humanitarian crisis there.
We spoke to the Rwandan Defence Forces (RDF) spokesperson, who says they fired into eastern DRC in retaliation.
“Rockets were fired across the DRC/Rwanda border in Rubavu district, western province, and five civilians have lost their lives and 35 were seriously injured,” Brigadier-General Ronald Rwivanga tells us on a video call.
“They are currently undergoing medical treatment in the medical facilities nearby. We are just taking all necessary defensive measures to protect the population living along the border.
“And we will continue to play our role, our primary role of protecting the territory or integrity of Rwanda.”
Image: ‘We are just taking all necessary defensive measures,’ Brigadier-General Ronald Rwivanga said
Throughout the day, videos emerged of Congolese troops surrendering to Rwandan soldiers – wearing the white headbands we saw on those walking in the street in front of our hotel.
Brigadier-General Rwivanga denies the presence of Rwandan troops in DRC and arms support to M23 rebels.
A UN panel of experts reported, however, that around 3,000 to 5,000 Rwandan troops were in DRC as of last year.
On Sunday, the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on the RDF to stop supporting the M23 and “to withdraw from the territory of the DRC”.
Worldwide stock markets have plummeted for the second day running as the fallout from Donald Trump’s global tariffs continues.
While European and Asian markets suffered notable falls, American indexes were the worst hit, with Wall Street closing to a sea of red on Friday following Thursday’s rout – the worst day in US markets since the COVID-19 pandemic.
All three of the US’s major indexes were down by more than 5% at market close; The Dow Jones Industrial Average plummeted 5.5%, the S&P 500 was 5.97% lower, and the Nasdaq Composite slipped 5.82%.
The Nasdaq was also 22% below its record-high set in December, which indicates a bear market.
Ever since the US president announced the tariffs on Wednesday evening, analysts estimate that around $4.9trn (£3.8trn) has been wiped off the value of the global stock market.
More on Donald Trump
Related Topics:
Mr Trump has remained unapologetic as the markets struggle, posting in all-caps on Truth Social before the markets closed that “only the weak will fail”.
The UK’s leading stock market, the FTSE 100, also suffered its worst daily drop in more than five years, closing 4.95% down, a level not seen since March 2020.
And the Japanese exchange Nikkei 225 dropped by 2.75% at end of trading, down 20% from its recent peak in July last year.
Image: US indexes had the worst day of trading since the COVID-19 pandemic. Pic: Reuters
Trump holds trade deal talks – reports
It comes as a source told CNN that Mr Trump has been in discussions with Vietnamese, Indianand Israelirepresentatives to negotiate bespoke trade deals that could alleviate proposed tariffs on those countries before a deadline next week.
The source told the US broadcaster the talks were being held in advance of the reciprocal levies going into effect next week.
Vietnam faced one of the highest reciprocal tariffs announced by the US president this week, with 46% rates on imports. Israeli imports face a 17% rate, and Indian goods will be subject to 26% tariffs.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
China – hit with 34% tariffs on imported goods – has also announced it will issue its own levy of the same rate on US imports.
Mr Trump said China “played it wrong” and “panicked – the one thing they cannot afford to do” in another all-caps Truth Social post earlier on Friday.
Later, on Air Force One, the US president told reporters that “the beauty” of the tariffs is that they allow for negotiations, referencing talks with Chinese company ByteDance on the sale of social media app TikTok.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
6:50
Tariffs: Xi hits back at Trump
He said: “We have a situation with TikTok where China will probably say, ‘We’ll approve a deal, but will you do something on the tariffs?’
“The tariffs give us great power to negotiate. They always have.”
Global financial markets gave a clear vote of no-confidence in President Trump’s economic policy.
The damage it will do is obvious: costs for companies will rise, hitting their earnings.
The consequences will ripple throughout the global economy, with economists now raising their expectations for a recession, not only in the US, but across the world.
The court ruled to uphold the impeachment saying the conservative leader “violated his duty as commander-in-chief by mobilising troops” when he declared martial law.
The president was also said to have taken actions “beyond the powers provided in the constitution”.
Image: Demonstrators stayed overnight near the constitutional court. Pic: AP
Supporters and opponents of the president gathered in their thousands in central Seoul as they awaited the ruling.
The 64-year-old shocked MPs, the public and international allies in early December when he declared martial law, meaning all existing laws regarding civilians were suspended in place of military law.
Image: The court was under heavy police security guard ahead of the announcement. Pic: AP
After suddenly declaring martial law, Mr Yoon sent hundreds of soldiers and police officers to the National Assembly.
He has argued that he sought to maintain order, but some senior military and police officers sent there have told hearings and investigators that Mr Yoon ordered them to drag out politicians to prevent an assembly vote on his decree.
His presidential powers were suspended when the opposition-dominated assembly voted to impeach him on 14 December, accusing him of rebellion.
The unanimous verdict to uphold parliament’s impeachment and remove Mr Yoon from office required the support of at least six of the court’s eight justices.
South Korea must hold a national election within two months to find a new leader.
Lee Jae-myung, leader of the main liberal opposition Democratic Party, is the early favourite to become the country’s next president, according to surveys.