MADRID 11 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) –
At least seven civilians have been killed in a new clash between members of the March 23 Movement (M23) rebel group and members of self-defense groups known as ‘wazalendo’ in the province of North Kivu, located in the east of the Democratic Republic. of the Congo (DRC).
Official sources cited by the Congolese radio station Radio Okapi have indicated that the fighting, which broke out during the day on Thursday, has left another six wounded, including two children, without any of the parties involved having commented on the matter.
According to these sources, the attack was launched by the M23 against members of the local militias in Bwanga, Kishongya and Kirumbu, in the Bahunde area, sparking fighting that lasted for about four hours, amid a rise in tensions in the area.
The M23 is a rebel group made up mostly of Congolese Tutsis and operates mainly in the North Kivu province of eastern DRC. After a conflict between 2012 and 2013, in which the Congolese Army had the support of United Nations troops, the authorities of the African country and the group signed a peace agreement in December of that year.
The resumption of its offensive has increased tensions between the DRC and Rwanda, which supports the formation, raising fears of the possibility of an open war between the two countries. In addition, it has led to the rise of militias such as ‘wazalendo’, which describe themselves as local self-defense groups.
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