Fighting between the Congolese Army and the M23 spreads across North Kivu

November 13 (EUROPA PRESS) –

The Congolese Army and the rebel group of the March 23 Movement (M23) have in recent hours extended the zone of fighting in the province of North Kivu, in the east of the country, increasingly closer to the capital, Goma, where Tens of thousands of people have arrived in recent weeks to escape the fighting.

Sources from the Radio France Internationale (RFI) station have confirmed that the fighting has reached the territory of Nyiragongo, south of Rutshuru, for the first time since last May, and they have even confirmed several detonations near Kibumba, some twenty kilometers to the east. north of Goma.

Civil society associations from the affected towns have unleashed a cry of alarm and have gone on to directly request the opening of a humanitarian corridor for 72 hours starting this Sunday, according to a statement from civil groups in Rumangabo picked up by the French international radio station .

According to the United Nations, 188,000 people have left their homes since October 20, for a total of almost 240,000 since the start of this latest conflict, which has caused a diplomatic crisis between the DRC and Rwanda over Kigali’s alleged support for the armed group – – which the Rwandan authorities deny — and the intervention of a Kenyan support force.

Meanwhile, the mediation efforts continue with the visit this Sunday to the DRC of the former Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta after the meetings on Saturday between the president of Angola, Joao Lourenço and his Congolese counterpart, Félix Tshisekedi. Lourenço had visited the Rwandan president, Paul Kagame, the day before.

“We will not be able to go into the details of the discussions that took place in Kigali, like the discussions that took place in Kinshasa. But we assure you that the Heads of State will continue to work,” said the Angolan Foreign Minister, Tété Antonio.