The United Nations has revealed that about 200,000 people have fled their homes in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo in recent days, as Rwanda-backed rebels march on a strategic town of Uvira just days after Donald Trump hosted the Rwandan and Congolese leaders to proclaim peace.
According to a statement released by the United Nations indicated that at least 74 people had been killed, mostly civilians, and 83 admitted to hospital with wounds from escalating clashes in the area in recent days.
Local officials and residents said the Rwanda-backed M23 group has been advancing towards the lakeside town of Uvira on the border with Burundi, and battling with Democratic Republic of Congo troops and local groups known as Wazalendo in villages north of the town.
In Washington, the United States and nine other members of the International Contact Group for the Great Lakes have said with profound concern that the renewed violence, is a setback to peace process.
It said the new M23 rebel offensive has a potential to destablise the whole region adding that the growing use of attack and suicide drones marked a major escalation in the fighting and posed a serious threat to civilians.
The violence follows last week’s hosting by the United States President of the Rwandan and Congolese presidents in Washington for the ceremonial signing of a pact affirming U.S. and Qatari-brokered commitments to end the war.
During the signing of the agreement between Rwanda President Paul Kagame and Democratic Republic of Congo President Felix Tshisekedi, President Trump said that the United States waa succeeding where so many others have failed and claimed that his administration had ended a 30-year conflict that had led to the deaths of millions of people.
The Leader of the Coalition, Corneille Nangaa, said that the M23 fighters are currently pushing towards Uvira Town after coming under attack by government forces and urged the fleeing soldiers not to abandon the town.
The South Kivu Provincial government spokesperson Didier Kabi said in a video message that there had been chaos in Uvira Town after rumours spread that the M23 were near, but that calm was later restored.
Despite the group’s intention to advance on Uvira, M23 leader Bertrand Bisimwa reiterated the group’s support for Qatari-led peace talks in Doha, where representatives from the two sides signed a framework agreement last month for a peace deal aimed at ending fighting in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
“Even if we counterattack, we said that there are no other solutions in the current crisis than the negotiating table, and we want to bring Kinshasa to the negotiating table,” Bisimwa said.
Bisimwa said that the rebels had captured Luvungi, a town that had stood as the front line since February, and that fierce fighting was under way near Sange and Kiliba, villages further along the road towards Uvira from the north.
The Government of Rwanda continue to deny supporting the rebels in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, although Washington and the United Nations say evidence of Rwandan backing is clear and prior to the latest upsurge in fighting, the conflict had already displaced at least 1.2 million people.
Additional Reporting from Associated Press.
