APA – Kinshasa (DR Congo) – Fresh fighting erupted Sunday in several villages in DR Congo’s North Kivu province as government troops attempted to disarm M23 rebels.
The development has been confirmed by the political chairman of M23 rebel group, Bertrand Bisimwa who accused Kinshasa of carrying out its threat of aggression.
“We are bearing witness to the national and the international community in particular, the member states of the East African Community – EAC that the Congolese government bears full responsibility for the consequences of this war whose purpose is to jeopardise the holding of elections,” Bisimwa said.
Sporadic gunfire heard by local residents raged near Sake, a strategic town in North Kivu province.
Several eyewitnesses confirmed to APA that Congolese government troops were trying to chase M23 rebels from several villages in the province including Kirolirwee, Kibarizo, Busumba and Kirumbu.
According to the rebel leader, the resumption of hostilities is the result of ”irresponsibility and anti-social decisions by the Kinshasa government”.
Felix Tshisekedi’s government had initially given an ultimatum until 2 September for the rebels to withdraw from their positions and follow the cantonment program.
However, the rebel movement conditioned their withdrawal on direct dialogue with Kinshasa.
The summit stipulated then that M23 would withdraw from all seized territories and retreat into their initial positions.
It was planned that the relinquished territories would be taken up by a buffer regional force led by troops, who form part of the East African Community Regional Force (EACRF).
CU/as/APA