The Rwanda-backed rebels who seized a city in Congo declare a unilateral ceasefire
The Rwanda-backed rebels who seized the DRC city of Goma announced a unilateral ceasefire for humanitarian reasons, following calls for a safe corridor for aid.
The Rwanda-backed rebels who seized the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo’s key city of Goma announced a unilateral ceasefire in the region Monday for humanitarian reasons, following calls for a safe corridor for aid and hundreds of thousands of displaced people.
The M23 rebels said the ceasefire would start Tuesday. The announcement came shortly after the U.N. health agency said at least 900 people were killed in last week’s fighting in Goma between the rebels and Congolese forces.
The city of 2 million people is at the heart of a region home to trillions of dollars in mineral wealth and remains in rebel control. The M23 were reported to be gaining ground in other areas of eastern Congo and advancing on another provincial capital, Bukavu.
But the rebels said Monday they did not intend to seize Bukavu, though they earlier expressed ambition to march on Congo’s capital, Kinshasa, a thousand miles away.
“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,” M23 rebel spokesman Lawrence Kanyuka said in a statement.
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