M23 rebels in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo city of Goma held at rally on November 21, 2012. The group vowed to continue their march toward the capital of Kinshasha in the west., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.
M23 rebels slam UN
Tuesday, 02 April 2013 00:00
KINSHASA — The main rebel group in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo yesterday denounced as an act of war the UN approving to send its first-ever “offensive” peacekeeping brigade to the region.
Instead of “encouraging a political solution by supporting the political negotiations . . . the UN has chosen to wage war against one of the partners for peace”, the M23 political leader Bertrand Bisimwa said in a statement.
The statement follows a decision by the UN Security Council on Thursday to approve the sending of a 3 000-strong force with orders to “neutralise” and “disarm” rebel groups in the resource-rich east of the country which has been gripped by conflict for more than two decades.
The M23 rebels, mostly army mutineers, are among the main militias operating in DR Congo’s east, seeking a part in the control of the region’s considerable mineral wealth.
In November they staged a lightning advance through the area and are currently involved in talks with the government in neighbouring Uganda.
The UN’s “offensive” peacekeepers, due to begin operating in July, will join the MONUSCO troops (the United Nations Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo) which with more than 19 000 uniformed personnel is one of the largest UN peacekeeping forces in the world.
— AFP.
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