By RFPosted on 01-11-2019Modified on 01-11-2019 at 14:18

This Thursday was a new and exciting day in the highlands of eastern DRC with new attacks. According to the UN, 90 incidents took place in the region in October alone. And these last days, they multiply between Bijombo and Mikenge.

The Monusco will deploy, in the coming hours, a temporary base in Bijombo. It's around and in this locality that, since the beginning of the week, all attacks have been concentrated. First, four Banyamulenge hamlets were burned by a Mai-Mai coalition. Then the banyamulenge twarineho self-defense militias responded by burning as many houses.

Then there would have been fighting Wednesday around Kahuna. It was one of the bases of the Banyamulenge fighters, estimates an expert. This denies one of the figures of this community. " The armed group Gumino was there until 2018 only, the Mai-Mai attack civilians, " says the community leader. The conflict moved Thursday to five kilometers from another Monusco base.

The Congolese army divided

The blue helmets in Mikenge fired warning shots to deter armed groups from targeting some 800 displaced people who fled to the base.

In all the communities, one complains of the non-intervention of the army, divided, it is said, between pro and anti-banyamulenge, and one accuses more and more openly some officers to lend a hand to the one or the other party to the dispute.

The most serious is the situation of the displaced, some of whom have to move from attack to attack. And as bashi traders are regularly attacked, supply is scarce. A humanitarian mission visited the highlands on Thursday and should start this Friday the first distributions of food and basic necessities.

■ The army announces a major action

The Congolese army announced on Thursday that it had launched " large-scale operations " to eradicate armed groups in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

We are launching a final call for all armed groups

General Léon-Richard Kasonga, spokesperson for the army

01-11-2019 - By Sonia Rolley

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