GOMA, DR CONGO: M23 rebels clashed with troops on two fronts in eastern DR Congo on Tuesday, officials said, despite a regional ceasefire deal due to take effect the same day.
After several days of relative calm, the conflict erupted on Monday in the flashpoint province of North Kivu, leaving several civilians dead and wounded, aid workers and hospital sources said.
The fighting continued Tuesday, with the rebels taking under control new villages, despite a ceasefire brokered by Angola last week that was due to begin at noon (1000 GMT).
The rebels have captured large parts of the territory in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo since re-emerging from dormancy in late 2021, claiming the government ignored a pledge to integrate them into the army.
The M23 rebels were hemming in the lakeside trade hub of Goma, capturing territory to the north of the city and advancing in the west as well.
Rebels capturing further territories
An anonymous security source said on Tuesday morning that Karuba, around 30 kilometres (18 miles) west of Goma, “has just fallen into rebel hands”.
“We attacked them in the night but they launched a counter-attack this morning, and, at the moment, the fighting is continuing,” the source said.
Witnesses said fighting was underway in the north as well, where rebels remained on the offensive.
The renewed violence coincided with an urgent appeal by United Nations chief Antonio Guterres on Monday for the Tutsi-led group to honour the ceasefire and move towards a complete withdrawal from the conflict-ridden country. — AFP/APP
