M23 rebels attack military positions in eastern DR Congo

The clashes had been reported close to the villages of Tshanzu and Runyoni, about 50km (31 miles) northeast of Goma.

Map displaying the villages of Tshanzu and Runyoni in japanese DR Congo

Fighters from a insurgent group attacked a military place within the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC’s) conflict-torn east in a single day, triggering heavy combating, a neighborhood official and a witness have stated.

“I verify the assault since final night time on our positions,” Muhindo Luanzo, assistant to the army administrator of the japanese city of Rutshuru, close to the border with Uganda and Rwanda, stated on Monday.

The village of “Runyoni can also be besieged by the enemy however our troops are already deployed to reply and chase the enemy,” he added.

The clashes started at about 1am native time (23:00 GMT) close to the villages of Tshanzu and Runyoni, about 50 km (31 miles) northeast of the provincial capital Goma, a witness within the latter village stated.

“We don’t know who controls the realm, nevertheless it appears prefer it’s a critical assault,” the witness instructed Reuters. “This time it was extra intense than all of the earlier instances.”

The Kivu Safety Tracker (KST), a US-based monitor of violence within the area, stated on Twitter that the fighters belonged to the M23 armed group and that combating continued till 11am.

Early this morning, #M23 fighters attacked #FARDC positions in #Runyoni, #Chanzu and #Ndiza (#Rutshuru territory, #North#Kivu). The combating, which continued till round 11am, brought about locals to flee, notably in direction of Uganda. #DRCpic.twitter.com/xd3KLtSRYS

— Baromètre sécuritaire du Kivu (@KivuSecurity) March 28, 2022

A spokesman for the M23 couldn't instantly be reached for remark.

In November, the M23 had briefly seized these two strategic villages in an analogous in a single day assault. Monday’s offensive comes three days after the group, which seized massive swathes of territory throughout an armed rebellion in 2012 and 2013, accused the military of waging battle towards it.

Tshanzu and Runyoni had been the final strongholds of the M23 earlier than its fighters had been chased into Uganda and Rwanda in 2013 by Congolese and UN forces.

Since then, there have been concerted regional efforts to determine dialogue and disarmament. However M23 leaders have complained in regards to the sluggish tempo of implementation of a peace accord.

“Our organisation, the M23, which has been capable of patiently wait 9 years for the implementation of the peace course of, deplores this dreadful choice of violence,” its spokesman Willy Ngoma stated in an announcement final week.

UN investigators have beforehand accused Rwanda and Uganda of supporting the M23. Each international locations, which intervened militarily in Congo throughout two regional wars 20 years in the past, deny supporting the group.