M23 rebels, backed by Rwandan troops, declared a unilateral ceasefire in eastern DRC citing humanitarian concerns. The announcement follows a week of intense fighting that resulted in at least 900 deaths according to the UN health agency. Despite the ceasefire, the rebels maintain control of Goma, a strategic city rich in mineral resources, and continue to advance south.
The M23 rebels are backed by some 4,000 troops from neighbouring Rwanda , according to UN experts / Photo: Reuters Archive
The rebels were then reported to be advancing on another provincial capital, Bukavu, while vowing to continue to the Congolese capital, Kinshasa, a thousand miles away. There was no immediate comment from DRC's government. The announcement came ahead of a joint summit this week by the regional blocs of southern and eastern Africa, which have called for a ceasefire. Kenya's President William Ruto said Monday the presidents of DRC and Rwanda would attend.
The latest fighting forced hundreds of thousands of people who had been displaced by years of conflict to carry what remained of their belongings and flee again. Thousands poured into nearby Rwanda, which has denied supporting the M23.The fighting in DRC has connections with a decadeslong ethnic conflict. M23 says it is defending ethnic Tutsis in DRC.
DRC M23 Rebels Rwanda Ceasefire Goma Conflict Humanitarian Crisis
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