Fighting resumes in eastern Congo, army and M23 say

GOMA, Democratic Republic of Congo, Dec 3 (Reuters) – F ighting resumed in eastern Congo on Monday, again violating a ceasefire, the M23 rebel group and Congolese army said, casting doubt on whether the M23 group will cease its offensive after the withdrawal of Rwandan troops.

The Tutsi-led M23 group has been waging a renewed insurgency in the Central African country’s east since 2022. Congo and the United Nations accuse neighbouring Rwanda of backing the group with its own troops and weapons. Rwanda denies this.

However, U.N. experts said in July that Rwanda does have between 3,000 and 4,000 government forces deployed in eastern Congo, operating alongside the M23 rebel group.

At a meeting on Nov. 25, the foreign ministers of Congo and Rwanda agreed on the terms and conditions of the disengagement of those Rwandan forces.

M23 confirmed the resumption of fighting on Tuesday, following a similar announcement by the Congolese army on Monday.

The Congolese and Rwandan presidents are due to meet on Dec. 15, according to an announcement Monday by state news in Angola, which has been mediating the conflict. It would be their first official meeting since 2023.

In a statement on Nov. 30, the rebels said they were upholding a ceasefire agreed in March 2023, despite not being involved in the current talks between Rwanda and Congo.

In early November, the United States said it was “gravely concerned” by ceasefire violations in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo by M23 rebels. (Reporting by Djaffar Al Katanty; Additional reporting by Sonia Rolley; Writing by Portia Crowe, editing by Ed Osmond)

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