AFRICA/CONGO RD - Nkunda militia advance in northern Kivu. “The leader of the rebels wants to negotiate from a stronghold obtain a pass for his crimes ” a missionary told Fides

Kinshasa (Agenzia Fides)- Ever more critical the humanitarian situation in north Kivu in the east of Democratic Congo where, after forcing the regular army to withdraw, the rebels led by Laurent Nkunda took control of the cities of Mushake and Karuba, 40 km north west of Goma the main city in the province.
The army, supported by UN mission in Congo, are preparing a counter offensive to retake lost ground.
“The army is reorganising. We are fighting to regain those cities and to re-establish peace and stability in north Kivu” said Congolese defence minister Diemu Chikez, who had this to say about his troops' defeat: “our army is still new and in training. It can lose a battle but we will win the war”. The army had set 25,000 men against Nkunda's 4,000 batter trained and armed who anticipated the army's offensive.
The front line appears to be at Sake, 30 km from Goma, where the UN mission has strengthened its position.
“We think Nkunda wants to negotiate from a strong point his exile and impunity from the international penal court ” said a local missionary who asked not to be named for security reasons. “The people are disappointed because following US pressure to force Nkunda to go into exile (see Fides 6/12/2007), we expected a rapid solution to the crisis. Instead Nkunda and his men managed to catch the army and MONUC off guard and launch an attack. I think however that because of the pressure on him Nkunda wants reassurance that he will not be called to respond for crimes committed in south and north Kivu and in Kisangani where his men were responsible for the massacre of 160 people on 24 May 2002 ”. Since September 2005 Nkunda is internationally wanted for war crimes.
A spokesman of the rebel general made a request to the government for talks and said the solution to the crisis is political not military. “We are sure other secret talks are taking place with regard to the sharing of Kivu resources, gold, coltan, cassiterite and oil. This is the key to the crisis in eastern Congo” the missionary told Fides.
UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon, urged the rebels to lay down their arms and the government to protect all displaced persons. UNO sources say recent fighting caused between 60-70,000 people to abandon their homes. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 13/12/2007 righe 32 parole 440)