DR Congo/North Kivu: More fighting, SADC expresses support for Kinshasa
More fighting has been reported in the
area of Goma, capital of North Kivu. UN sources said elements from Laurent
Nkunda's CNDP and irregular forces allied with the Congolese regular army
erupted today near Ngungu (60 km. southeast of Goma). It is unclear whether
the fighting was a mere 'skirmish' or the resumption of the intense fighting
that have affected the same area in recent weeks and that the local UN
mission (MONUC) had managed to control last week. Local sources, however,
said it is certain that the villages of Ngungu, Murambi and Luzirandaka
are now empty as their residents have been fleeing over the past 24 hours.
Evidence of fleeing civilians was also noted in the area of Kanyabayonga,
160 km. north of Goma, where, said 'Radio Okapi' (MONUC's radio station),
and several refugees from Nyanzale, Kikuku, Mine and Kibirizi have been
arriving since last Saturday. MISNA sources in Goma, nevertheless, said
that information from the areas around Goma remain very confusing, while
the important developments appear to be coming from the political-diplomatic
front, where the Southern African Development Community (SADC), at an emergency
summit in South Africa over the Congolese crisis and developments in Zimbabwe,
yesterday, has taken a strong stance in support of Kinshasa's government
and army. In the final document emerging from the summit, the 15 SADC regional
leaders said that "the security situation in RD Congo threatens the
peace and stability of the Great Lakes and Southern African regions",
openly accusing the CNDP leaders of having failed to apply "many of
the accords signed to restore peace and security in the region of the Great
Lakes, on account of the intransigence of Laurent Nkunda", adding
that there is a need to "support the Congolese army to protect the
territorial integrity and sovereignty of the territory". On the military
front, the signatories have also announced the immediate deployment of
a team of experts to Congo to verify the situation in the east. Moreover,
a monitoring commission shall also verify the situation at the borders
with Burundi, Uganda and Rwanda, while military consultants shall be sent
to work in cooperation with the leadership of the Congolese army "over
issues that shall be decided with Kinshasa". While reiterating that
the solution to the Congolese crisis will only happen through negotiations,
SADC has also emphasized the urgent nature of the measures needed in RD
Congo, stressing that "the region shall not remain still looking at
the incessant and destructive acts of violence of any armed group against
innocent civilians".[AB]