The M23 rebels resumed their attacks on the troops of the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo after two days of combat.
The rebel fighters struck at dawn near the village of Ifushi on Tuesday, 40km (25 miles) from Kavum’s strategic military airport and about 70km (43 miles) from Bukabu, the capital of South Kivu province.
M23, who claims to protect the ethnic Tutsi, began moving forward in the Southern Kibhu after controlling for the Northern Kibhu in a bloody attack that killed thousands last month, calling for an immediate ceasefire from 24 local leaders Despite this, hostilities resumed.
Bukavu has been preparing for the M23 attack for several days, closing schools on Friday, residents began to flee, closing fears of an imminent attack by shops.
Malcolm Webb of Al Jazeera, who was reporting from Nairobi, Kenya, said Bukab’s “uneasy” residents were waiting to find out whether “M23 and its Rwandan supporters” would succeed in moving forward in the city. I stated.
Meanwhile, Goma, a fleeing evacuation camp located west of the North Kivu capital, claimed Colonel M23 entered the location on Sunday and ordered him to leave within three days.
M23 issued a statement Monday denies those accusations, saying people were voluntarily leaving the Bulengo camp, what they call “homes currently stitched around the neck in a liberated area.” I’ve returned to.
Many people lived in “swelling camps” for up to two years and didn’t know if there was a home where they could return, Webb added. “It looks like most of them are now packing and starting their journey. Several others have said they’ll wait and see if and when they’re forced to leave,” he said. said.
On Saturday, 24 East African leaders called for a “immediate and unconditional” ceasefire at the DRC within five days, calling the conflict might be leaked to neighboring countries.
The UN says the conflict forced 6.7 million people from homes within the country. This has forced most people from the North and South Kivu provinces, where violence and uncertainty is rising since 2021, due to the revival of the M23 rebels.
The latest violence has forced over half a million people from homes since the beginning of the year, putting overcrowded and energetic displacement camps under extreme pressure.
Bruno Lemarquis, the country’s top UN official, said the suspension of aid from the US, which funded 70% of its operations last year, exacerbated the escalation of the domestic humanitarian crisis.
The 90-day suspension announced by US President Donald Trump since taking office last month meant that “many programs” including “emergency health” and “emergency shelters” were forced to close. , said Lemarquis.
Rwanda’s denial
The United Nations was estimated to have killed nearly 3,000 people earlier this month when a clash between Goma’s M23 and Congolese forces.
The DRC accuss Rwanda and the rebels of looting the country’s resources, including vast deposits of rare earth, to the point of looting the country’s resources. Rwanda denies these allegations.
“We are determinedly opposed to the DRC’s attempts to portray Rwanda as being responsible for the instability of the Eastern DRC,” UN Ambassador in Geneva James Ngango told an emergency meeting of the Human Rights Council. .
“But what’s clear is the imminent threat that the current situation poses to Rwanda. After the collapse of Sesame, new evidence has emerged regarding the impending massive attack on Rwanda,” he said, adding that Kinshasa and its The allies added that they stockpile weapons at and around Goma Airport.
Codeco Attack
Elsewhere in the DRC, one of countless groups fighting over land and resources in the eastern region, Cordeko Armed Group fighters have been sacrificed at least 35 in an attack on a group in the village of Djaiba in Jugu territory, Ituri province. He killed a civilian.
Janvianny, the village group head, said the attack began at 8pm on Monday and many people would “be burned and die at home.”
Webb said some officials in the area have reported that up to 50 people may have been killed, including children. He said the armed groups control parts of Ituri province, which controls many of the gold mines.
The United Nations has previously accused Kodeko of attacks against other communities that could constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity. Most of the inhabitants of Jugu territory are Hema.
