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OpenRwandan-backed Rebel Group M23 Declares Ceasefire In DRC For "Humanitarian Reasons"
The M23 rebels who took control of Goma, a key city in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, announced a unilateral ceasefire on Monday for humanitarian reasons, following calls for a safe corridor for aid and displaced people. The ceasefire is set to begin on Tuesday.
The announcement came shortly after the U.N. health agency reported at least 900 fatalities in the recent fighting between the rebels and Congolese forces in Goma, according to AP.
The city, with a population of 2 million, remains under rebel control and is located in a region with substantial mineral wealth.
The M23 rebels have been reported to be gaining ground in other areas of eastern Congo and advancing towards another provincial capital, Bukavu.
However, the rebels said on Monday that they do not intend to seize Bukavu, despite earlier ambitions to march on Congo’s capital, Kinshasa, which is a thousand miles away.
M23 rebel spokesman Lawrence Kanyuka said in a statement:
It must be made clear that we have no intention of capturing Bukavu or other areas. However, we reiterate our commitment to protecting and defending the civilian population and our positions.
The M23 rebels are supported by approximately 4,000 troops from neighbouring Rwanda, according to U.N. experts.
This is far more than in 2012 when they briefly captured Goma before withdrawing under international pressure.
The M23 is one of over 100 armed groups in Congo’s east, which is rich in minerals critical to global technology.
M23 claims to be defending ethnic Tutsis in Congo. Rwanda has said Tutsis are being persecuted by Hutus and former militias responsible for the 1994 genocide of 800,000 Tutsis and others in Rwanda.
Many Hutus fled to Congo after the genocide and formed the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda militia group. Rwanda has said this group is “fully integrated” into the Congolese military, which denies the charges.
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