Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Kinshasa (Agenzia Fides)- Fierce fighting has resumed in the eastern North Kivu region of Democratic Congo, between the regular army and troops loyal to rebel general Laurent Nkunda, who announced yesterday 8 October that the cease fire agreement which had held since the beginning of September had been broken.
According to MONUC, the UN mission in Congo, intense fighting is reported in two places respectively 40 km and 70 km east of the provincial capital Goma.
MONUC has set up an advanced base in the area to protect civilians and accept any of Nkunda's men who decide to surrender. Nkunda said he broke the cease fire to fight Rwandan rebels active in the area. The rebel general made a series of requests in view of peace. One was a solution to the question of the Rwanda Liberation Forces consisting of former Hutu Rwandan army soldiers responsible for the 1994 genocide, who settled in east Congo. He also requested an independent investigation under the aegis of the African Union “to identify those responsible for acts of genocide committed in DRC between 1998 and 2004”; disarmament of civilians in the area; a real army reform in which Nkunda's movement intends to actively participate; facilitate reintegration in civil society of former guerrillas; guarantee just wages for soldiers to stop them from sacking the people; create a federal system “to free the people of Congo from Kinshasa centralism”; enact the amnesty law already promulgated.
According to the UN High Commission for Refugees, there are at least 80,000 displaced persons in Mugunga, 15 km from Goma. UNHCR also denounces forced recruitment of minors in the ranks of the armed groups in the region. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 9/10/2007 righe 24 parole 294)
