“It is estimated that over the past eleven days, some 50,000 men, women and children have been displaced, including 12,000 who have sought refuge in Uganda,” Stephane Dujarric, the spokesman for the United Nations Secretary-General, said during a briefing for accredited editors on Monday. by Antonio Guterres.
The UN expressed concern once again on Monday over the resurgence of fighting between DR Congo’s armed forces and M23 rebels, which have displaced some 50,000 civilians in the eastern part of the giant African country in eleven days.
“It is estimated that over the past eleven days, some 50,000 men, women and children have been displaced, including 12,000 who have sought refuge in Uganda,” Stephane Dujarric, the spokesman for the United Nations Secretary-General, said during a briefing for accredited editors on Monday. by Antonio Guterres.
“The peacekeepers continued to provide logistical and medical support to the Congolese armed forces and (…) to protect civilians,” he added, underlining that the Secretary-General is “deeply concerned.”
On Sunday night, Mr Guterres called for an “immediate de-escalation” after speaking by phone with the presidents of Angola, DR Congo, Rwanda, Kenya and Senegal, which holds the African Union presidency, according to with a press release issued by his representative.
Voicing his support for the mediation efforts of Angolan President Joao Lorenzo, Mr Guterres ruled that M23 and other armed groups must “immediately cease hostilities and disarm unconditionally”.
“The Secretary-General calls on all parties to facilitate humanitarian access to the affected population and to guarantee the protection of civilians and the observance of international humanitarian law,” the statement added, while calling on “all” actors “to refrain from hate speech and incitement to violence”.
The new escalation of tension in the eastern part of the country has prompted the UN mission there (MONUSCO) to “raise the alert level” of its forces providing support to the DR Congo army in its operations against M23.
After a few weeks of lull, the M23 is advancing from October 20th in the Rutsourou area, north of Goma.
The March 23 Movement, or M23, is dominated by members of the Tutsi tribe, particularly ex-servicemen, who revolted in 2012. It was defeated by the armed forces in 2013 but took up arms again late last year, blaming Kinshasa that he violated the agreements that provided for the disarmament and social reintegration of his fighters.
DR Congo accuses Rwanda of supporting M23, which Kigali has consistently denied but the UN has verified.
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