Clashes in eastern DR Congo as envoy pursues 'dialogue' initiative

Clashes in eastern DR Congo as envoy pursues 'dialogue' initiative

Key area of conflict between DR Congo's armed forces and M23 rebels
Key area of conflict between DR Congo's armed forces and M23 rebels. Photo: Valentin RAKOVSKY / AFP
Source: AFP

PAY ATTENTION: Click “See First” under the “Following” tab to see Briefly News on your News Feed!

Troops and rebels traded heavy fire in eastern DR Congo on Monday, a military source and local inhabitants said, as an envoy from the East African bloc pursued efforts to hold a "peace dialogue" on the region's troubles.

Government forces and the M23 militia were fighting in Kibumba, about 20 kilometres (12 miles) north of the strategic city of Goma in North Kivu province, they said, speaking by phone.

M23 fighters were also seen about 40 kms to the northwest of the city in the Virunga National Park, a wildlife haven famed for its mountain gorillas but which is also a bolthole for armed groups, the sources said.

A mostly Congolese Tutsi group, the M23 -- the March 23 Movement -- leapt to prominence in 2012 when it briefly captured Goma before being driven out.

Read also

Desert rally a rare tranquil escape in chaotic Libya

After lying dormant for years, the rebels took up arms again in late 2021, claiming the DRC had failed to honour a pledge to integrate them into the army, among other grievances.

They have since won a string of victories against the army and captured swathes of territory, prompting thousands of people to flee their homes.

PAY ATTENTION: Follow us on Instagram - get the most important news directly in your favourite app!

The resurgence has ratcheted up diplomatic tensions, with the Democratic Republic of Congo accusing its smaller neighbour Rwanda of backing the group.

Kinshasa expelled Rwanda's ambassador at the end of last month as the M23 advanced, and recalled its envoy from Kigali.

Rwanda denies providing any support for the M23 and accuses the Congolese army of colluding with the Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) -- a notorious Hutu rebel movement involved in the 1994 genocide of Tutsis in Rwanda.

Read also

Kenyan peacekeepers arrive in DR Congo's volatile east

Eastern DR Congo was the theatre of two bloody regional wars in the 1990s.

That conflict, along with the Rwandan genocide, bequeathed a legacy of scores of armed groups which are active across the region but especially in North Kivu.

The heads of the seven-nation East African Community (EAC) on Sunday announced they would hold a "peace dialogue" on the region's problems.

EAC's mediator, former Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta arrived in Kinshasa on Sunday for talks aimed at paving the way for the meeting, set to take place on November 21.

The bloc has not spelt out who will take part in the talks or how long they are scheduled to run.

Another diplomatic path is being explored by Angolan President Joao Lourenco.

He met on Friday with Rwandan President Paul Kagame and on Saturday with Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi.

PAY ATTENTION: Сheck out news that is picked exactly for YOU ➡️ find the “Recommended for you” block on the home page and enjoy!

Source: AFP

Authors:
AFP avatar

AFP AFP text, photo, graphic, audio or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. AFP news material may not be stored in whole or in part in a computer or otherwise except for personal and non-commercial use. AFP will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions in any AFP news material or in transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages whatsoever. As a newswire service, AFP does not obtain releases from subjects, individuals, groups or entities contained in its photographs, videos, graphics or quoted in its texts. Further, no clearance is obtained from the owners of any trademarks or copyrighted materials whose marks and materials are included in AFP material. Therefore you will be solely responsible for obtaining any and all necessary releases from whatever individuals and/or entities necessary for any uses of AFP material.