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Rwanda-backed rebels swept into the outskirts of the strategic town of Uvira in eastern Congo on Tuesday, part of a new offensive that the UN says has displaced more than 200,000 residents in recent days, local officials said.
The latest attack by the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group comes despite a US-brokered peace deal that was signed last week by the presidents of Congo and Rwanda. WashingtonThe agreement does not cover the rebels, who are in separate negotiations with Congo and agreed to a ceasefire earlier this year, which both sides accuse each other of violating, but it obliges Rwanda to stop support for armed groups and work to end hostilities,
Uvira civil society representative Marafiki Masimango said rebels were entering the town in South Kivu province late Tuesday and some government troops defending the town had fled. He said the residents panicked and he himself fled before sunset.
If the remaining soldiers put up more resistance, “there is a risk of a massacre, and many people will die,” Massimango said.
John Kaswincz, secretary to the mayor of Uvira, denied reports that M23 rebels were in the town late Tuesday night.
However, a senior Congolese military official said soldiers were fleeing the rebel attack and heading south and east toward the border. burundiThe official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly about the sensitive operation,
More than 100 armed groups are competing for a foothold in mineral-rich eastern Congo near the border with Rwanda, the most prominent of which is the Rwanda-backed M23 group. Authorities say the conflict has created one of the world’s most significant humanitarian crises, with more than 7 million people displaced.
In a statement Tuesday night, the International Contact Group for great Lakes (ICG), an informal monitoring group made up of several countries including the US and the EU, expressed concern about the renewed offensive and the proximity of fighting to the Burundian border, which “risks destabilizing the entire region.”
Last week, residents said fighting had intensified in South Kivu despite the signing of an agreement with the US president in Washington. donald trump in attendance. The M23 and the Congolese army have repeatedly accused each other of violating the terms of a ceasefire agreed earlier this year.
Local UN partners report that more than 200,000 people have been displaced across the province since December 2, with more than 70 killed. Civilians have also crossed into Burundi, and there have been reports of shelling in the city of Rugombo on the Burundian side of the border, raising concerns about the conflict spreading into Burundian territory.
In remarks Tuesday, Congolese Communications Minister Patrick Muyaya blamed Rwanda for the recent rebel attack in South Kivu, calling it a violation of Washington agreements. Her Rwandan counterpart, Yolande Makolo, blamed Congo in a post on Twitter.
According to UN experts, rebels in Congo are supported by about 4,000 troops from neighboring Rwanda, and at times have vowed to march to the Congolese capital Kinshasa, about 1,600 kilometers (1,000 miles) to the east.
Earlier this year, M23 captured Goma and Bukavu, two major cities in eastern Congo, marking a major escalation in the years-long conflict.