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UN mission reports intensified fighting in east

    NAIROBI

    Fighting by various factions is escalating in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), according to the UN peacekeeping mission in the country, UN News reported Thursday.

    The mission, known by its French acronym, MONUC, reported that armed groups and soldiers from Rwanda, Burundi and the Rwandan-backed Rassemblement congolais pour la democratie (RCD-Goma) opposition were fighting Rwandan Hutu rebel forces of the Interahamwe and ex-FAR, as well as the Congolese Mayi-Mayi militias around the town of Fizi. It was reportedly captured by the rebel coalition on 7 September, but RCD-Goma has vowed to retake the town.

    During a visit to the DRC earlier this month, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan strongly appealed to DRC President Joseph Kabila to try and stop the fighting. Annan also shared with the government and RCD-Goma his proposals for further MONUC deployments in the country. Continued fighting could jeopardise the acceptance and implementation of those proposals, which have yet to be put to the Security Council, UN News reported.

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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