Government forces in the Democratic Republic of Congo are attacking the last areas held by the M23 rebel group in the forested hills in the east. Hundreds of refugees are fleeing the fighting close to Congos eastern border and crossing into Uganda. The M23 on Sunday called a ceasefire to allow peace talks with the government. It follows a string of defeats by government troops, who have driven the rebels from all towns they once controlled during a 20-month rebellion. In a statement, the M23 called on the organisers of the peace talks in neighbouring Uganda to put in place a mechanism to monitor the ceasefire. A government spokesman said the statement was a step in the right direction but that it was waiting to see if the ceasefire was being implemented. There is always a delay between the order being given and the reality on the ground, Lambert Mende was quoted by Reuters as saying. In any case the army will continue to pursue the demobilisation and disarmament of the rebels. At least 800,000 people have been left homeless since the conflict started.
Posted on: Mon, 04 Nov 2013 09:23:40 +0000
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