DRC: resumption of fighting between the Congolese army and the M23 after 5 days of ceasefire

2022-12-01T14:23:20.835Z

While a ceasefire began on Friday November 25 at 6 p.m., fighting was reported this Thursday several dozen kilometers from Goma.

DRC: resumption of fighting between the Congolese army and the M23 after 5 days of ceasefire

FARDC soldiers on patrol in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

(Drawing).

AFP - GUERCHOM NDEBO

Text by: RFI Follow

2 mins

While a ceasefire began on Friday November 25 at 6 p.m., fighting was reported this Thursday several dozen kilometers from Goma.

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With our correspondent,

Coralie Pierret

It is precisely in Kirima, in the far west of

Rutshuru territory

and on the border with Masisi, that clashes with heavy weapons seem to have taken place this Thursday morning.

For several days, this area near Bambo, one of the strongholds of the

FDLR

, a Hutu armed group originally from Rwanda but present in the DRC since 1994, has been under tension.

On Tuesday, November 29, fighting between

M23

rebels and FDLR associated with another Hutu armed group, the Maï-Maï Nyatura, reportedly took place in the Bambo groupement.

► To read also: DRC: a ceasefire agreement reached at the Luanda mini-summit

But this time, in this area several tens of kilometers from Goma, the clashes would oppose the M23 rebels to the regular Congolese army.

Fighting which would thus break the ceasefire which nevertheless seemed to have been respected since Friday.

Last week, several heads of state in East and Central Africa urged the rebels to lay down their arms.

They had also been asked to liberate the occupied Congolese territories.

Which, for the time being, has not been heard.

Demonstration in Goma

And during this time in Goma, a hundred people demonstrated despite the authorities' ban.

A rally to denounce the inaction of the international community, but also the planned arrival of Ugandan troops in the DRC, took place.

Kampala announced last week that 1,000 troops would be sent as part of the East African force meant to bring peace to eastern Congo.

But for the demonstrators, Uganda, like Rwanda, is "an

accomplice of the M23

At least one demonstrator was brutalized by the police who also briefly arrested a few journalists.