Ceasefire in DRC Challenged By Fighting

KINSHASA, Democratic Republic of the Congo – In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, intense fighting between government forces and insurgents loyal to General Laurent Nkunda have forced the army to withdraw from its positions in the northeast.

Gabriel de Brosses, the military spokesman for MONUC, the United Nations peacekeeping force in DRC stated that “the fighting started early in the morning Monday and afterwards MONUC sent in heavy patrols to monitor the situation and some of the fighting resumed this morning,”

Army commanders have withdrawn from the area in order to meet strict orders from President Joseph Kabila that only allow soldiers to use defensive and not offensive force. Presently, the Congolese government is attempting to provide a peaceful solution to this violent situation.

According to Colonel Delphin Kahimni, government forces were attacked on three fronts in the North Kivu province. Presently, President Kabila declines to negotiate with the armed rebels.

According to Muzong Kodi, a DRC analyst with London-based Chatham House, believed that the DRC government has handled the situation poorly by not negotiating with the rebels. Kodi stated, “Nkunda is going to try as much as possible to force the government to the negotiating table, which the government is not going to want-otherwise they will lose face and there is a lot of pressure from the politicians in the area and a large portion of the population not to negotiate with Nkunda.”

During this year alone, more than 300,000 people have been displaced in the DRC. Many of the refugees flee from General Nkunda’s troops. In a site located twelve miles west of Goma, more than 10,000 people are being housed in camps. The United Nations refugee agency reports that over 4,000 people were seen arriving to those camps just this week. The conditions in the sites are very poor. Thousands of people live in crowded areas, while others squat in school buildings.

For more information, please see:

VOA news: Fighting in DRC Challenges Ceasefire 25 September 2007

VOA News: Displaced DRC Citizens Relocate Amid Lull in Fighting 24 September 2007

BBC: Rebel breaks DR Congo ceasefire 25 September 2007

Author: Impunity Watch Archive