UN chief calls for Rwandan forces to leave DRC as rebels press offensive

Antonio Guterres urges the M23 rebels to instantly cease each hostile actions arsenic thousands of civilians fly Goma successful eastbound DRC.

United Nations main Antonio Guterres has called connected Rwandan forces to retreat from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and halt enactment for M23 fighters advancing connected the cardinal metropolis of Goma successful the country’s east.

Guterres “reiterates his strongest condemnation of the M23 equipped group’s ongoing violative and advances towards Goma successful North Kivu with the enactment of the Rwanda Defence Forces,” his spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said successful a connection connected Sunday.

“He calls connected the M23 to instantly cease each hostile actions and retreat from occupied areas.  He further calls connected the Rwanda Defence Forces to cease enactment to the M23 and retreat from DRC territory,” the connection said.

The DRC and the UN impeach Rwanda of backing the M23 (March 23 Movement) rebels, an accusation that Kigali denies.

At an exigency UN Security Council gathering aboriginal connected Sunday, the DRC demanded sanctions against Rwanda, saying its forces had crossed into its territory successful what amounted to a “declaration of war.”

“More Rwandan troops person crossed the 12th and 13th borderline posts betwixt Goma (in the DRC) and Gisenyi (in Rwanda), entering our territory successful wide daylight successful an unfastened and deliberate usurpation of our nationalist sovereignty,” Congolese Foreign curate Therese Kayikwamba Wagner said.

“This is simply a frontal assault, a declaration of warfare that nary longer hides down diplomatic artifice,” she said, and called for the Security Council to “impose targeted sanctions including plus freezes and question bans not lone against identified members of the concatenation of bid of the Rwandan equipped forces, but besides against the governmental decision-makers liable for this aggression.”

France and the United Kingdom besides pressured Rwanda implicit its relation successful caller warring astir the metropolis of Goma successful eastbound DRC.

France’s UN ambassador called for Rwanda to retreat its troops from DRC territory, portion the UK called for an extremity to attacks connected peacekeepers by M23 rebels receiving enactment from Rwanda.

The gathering was held a time earlier than planned aft 3 UN peacekeepers from Uruguay and South Africa were killed successful eastbound DRC.

Seven different South African soldiers and 3 from Malawi serving successful a abstracted Southern African ngo were besides killed this week, South African and UN authorities said.

Rebels approaching Goma

M23 fighters closed successful connected Goma connected Sunday, forcing thousands of civilians to fly and grounding flights from the section airdrome arsenic authorities forces battled to halt the rebels from seizing the city.

The M23 rebel question has made accelerated advances this period successful DRC’s mineral-rich but conflict-riven eastbound borderlands, raising fears that the warring could spill implicit into a determination war.

M23 fighters began moving connected Goma, the superior of North Kivu state and location to astir 1 cardinal people, earlier this week and person vowed to prehend the city.

Gunfire and artillery occurrence could beryllium heard connected the city’s outskirts from aboriginal connected Sunday, starring to panic successful immoderate areas, residents told the Reuters quality agency.

By mid-afternoon, the rebels were approaching Goma’s airport, 2 authorities soldiers told the agency.

Officials astatine the airdrome said flights were nary longer operating. The UN connected Sunday told unit successful Goma not to spell to the airdrome and to enactment sheltered.

The DRC severed each diplomatic ties with Rwanda amid this week’s rebel offensive.

Eastern Congo remains a tinderbox of rebel zones and fighters’ fiefdoms successful the aftermath of 2 successive determination wars stemming from Rwanda’s 1994 genocide.

Three years into their existent conflict, the rebels present power much Congolese territory than ever before.

Well-trained and professionally armed, M23 – the latest successful a agelong enactment of Tutsi-led rebel movements – says it exists to support DRC’s taste Tutsi population.

United Nations peacekeepers thrust connected a pick-up motortruck truck successful Goma, DRC [Arlette Bashizi/Reuters]