DR Congo: North Kivu - New fighting north of Goma
There is relative calm in this moment in
the area of Kibumba (around 30km north of Goma, capital of the North Kivu
province, in east Democratic Republic of Congo), where heavy fighting took
place last night and this morning between the Congolese armed forces and
rebels of the National Congress for the Defence of the People (CNDP) of
the pro-Rwandan renegade general Laurent Nkunda. According to local sources,
units of the MONUC (United Nations mission in DR-Congo) also entered in
action in this morning's fighting, sending two helicopter gunships (as
also occurred yesterday) to stop the advance of the rebels. Some eyewitnesses
report that Kibumba was seized this morning by the CNDP (though there is
no official confirmation) and heavy artillery exchanges in the area of
Kilimanyoka, around 10km further south. Congolese army sources also accused
the military of neighbouring Rwanda of involvement in the fighting, claiming
that Rwandan armoured vehicles were opening fire from the Kasizi hills,
which stretch along the border between Rwanda and DR-Congo. Meanwhile,
thousands of people continue fleeing the front of the fighting. At least
20,000 people were reported in movement toward Goma after being forced
to leave a displaced camp in the Kibumba area. Reports are still confused
on Rutshuru, the main town of the homonymous area on the border with Uganda,
which the CNDP claims it seized last night. While local witnesses confirm
the presence of CNDP rebels on the streets of the town, some local radios
report that government troops are positioned in Kiwanja, on the outskirts
of Rutshuru where a MONUC base is located.
[BO]