GOMA, DR Congo
Rwanda-backed M23 rebels pushed further into eastern Congo on Wednesday, advancing into the outskirts of Walikale just one day after the presidents of Congo and Rwanda called for an immediate ceasefire.
Residents reported hearing
gunfire near Walikale's Nyabangi neighborhood. Some locals described the sounds
of conflict, while an anonymous military source confirmed that the rebels were
engaged in combat with both Congolese soldiers and pro-government militias
after launching a surprise attack on an army position just outside the town.
Walikale, a town with a
population of around 15,000 and located in a mineral-rich region, marks the
furthest westward point the M23 rebels have reached during their rapid
offensive this year.
Situated about 125 km (80
miles) northwest of Goma, Congo's largest eastern city, which fell to the
rebels in January, Walikale places the M23 fighters within 400 km of Kisangani,
the country’s fourth-largest city.
The attack took place even as
the presidents of Congo and neighboring Rwanda met Tuesday in Qatar for their
first direct talks calling for an immediate ceasefire in the restive region.
M23 is one of about 100 armed
groups that have been vying for a foothold in mineral-rich eastern Congo near
the border with Rwanda, in a conflict that has created one of the world’s most
significant humanitarian crises. More than 7 million people have been
displaced.
According to U.N. experts, the
rebels are supported by about 4,000 troops from neighboring Rwanda and have at
times vowed to march as far as Congo’s capital, Kinshasa, about 1,600
kilometers (1,000 miles) to the east.
The U.N. Human Rights Council
last month launched a commission to investigate atrocities, including
allegations of rape and killing akin to “summary executions” by both sides.
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