DR Congo president Joseph Kabila urged the city's people to "resist" the group's takeover. UN spokesman Eduardo del Buey said peacekeepers "cannot substitute" for the national army, adding that the 1,500 UN troops in Goma held their fire because they did not want to risk civilian lives. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon criticized M23 for alleged human rights violations during the takeover, including destruction of property, "intimidation of journalists", and the abduction of women and children. Noting that the First Congo War had begun with fighting in the same region, the "New York Times" described Goma's takeover as "raising serious questions about the stability of Congo as a whole."