By Justin Kabumba, GOMA DR
Congo
A rebel group with alleged
links to neighboring Rwanda claimed Wednesday to have seized a key town in
Congo’s conflict-hit eastern region amid intense fighting, raising further
security concerns ahead of the country’s December 20 presidential election.Congo president Félix Tshisekedi delivers a speech to his supporters during a campaign rally ahead of the presidential elections, in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sunday, Nov. 19, 2023.
Mweso town, which is about 100
kilometres (62 miles) from the North Kivu provincial capital of Goma, came
under the control of the M23 rebel group following days of fighting with
government-backed forces, Lawrence Kanyuka, the group’s spokesman, said.
Residents in the area told The
Associated Press they witnessed gunfire between the rebels and security forces.
“The enemy has managed to reoccupy Mweso,” said one, Alain Kamala.
The AP was not immediately
able to verify who was in control of the town. The Congolese army confirmed
there was fighting under way around the area.
M23 rose to prominence 10
years ago when its fighters seized Goma, eastern Congo’s largest city on the
border with Rwanda. It derives its name from a March 23, 2009, peace deal which
it accuses the Congo government of not implementing.
Congolese
President Felix Tshisekedi blames Rwanda for destabilizing Congo by backing the
M23 rebels. U.N. experts have linked the rebels to Rwandan forces.
Rwanda denies this.
Fighting in eastern Congo has been simmering for
decades as more than 120 groups fight for power, land and valuable mineral
resources, while others try to defend their communities. But it spiked in late
2021 when M23, which had been largely dormant, resurfaced and started capturing
territory.
The rebels said the latest
round of fighting started after government-backed forces “attacked heavily
populated areas and our positions on many axes” and that they “will not
hesitate to protect the civilian population and its belongings.”
Residents fear for their
safety. Tshisekedi, who seeks reelection, has said rebel-controlled territories
might not participate in the December vote for security reasons.
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