Fresh fighting broke out Monday between the army and rebel militia in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), with government forces claiming to have killed about 20 rebels.
The fighting took place close to Goma, capital of North Kivu province.
”Our forces pushed the rebels back this morning [Monday] from Sake towards Mushaki,” Major Omar Selamani said, adding that the bodies of about 20 rebel fighters had been seen by the road outside Sake.
Laurent Nkunda’s rebel National Congress for the Defence of the People (CNDP) confirmed the attack, but made no reference to rebel casualties.
The UN peacekeeping mission in DDRC, known by the French acronym Monuc, had issued an urgent appeal to government forces and rebels on Saturday for a ceasefire.
”These new clashes would have a dramatic impact on civilians,” it said, recalling that 1,3-million people have been displaced by the fighting.
Fighting flared anew August 28 in North Kivu in violation of a peace accord that was signed in January. — Sapa-AFP