UN peacekeepers in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) have transferred troops to hotspots in the east of the country to handle the fallout of increased fighting there between rebels and the army.
MONUC, the UN Mission in DR Congo, which has 14,000 peacekeepers deployed in the country, had moved troops from Sud-Kivu and Ituri towards Nord-Kivu, which borders Uganda and Rwanda, a spokesman said.
“We have very mobile units, armored cars, helicopters, we are ready,” said Lieutenant Colonel Jean-Paul Dietrich.
Fighting broke out late last month in Nord-Kivu between government troops — the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) — and rebels of the CNDC, led by renegade Tutsi colonel Laurent Nkunda.
“MONUC will continue to intervene with all means at its disposal and will take all necessary measures to assure the protection of the population and the free circulation on the main roads,” Dietrich said.
Peacekeepers were also patrolling Lake Kivu, which forms part of the border between DR Congo and Rwanda, to prevent any fighters reaching Goma, the regional capital of Nord-Kivu, he added.
“We have the means on the ground and we will not let village after village be taken,” said Dietrich.
Nkunda loyalists and government forces have skirmished regularly in the hills of North Kivu since Aug. 28, with both sides blaming each other for the violence.
The fighting, which violates the Goma peace accords signed in January, have continued despite the efforts of UN peacekeepers to intervene.
On Friday, MONUC forces used helicopter flyovers and fired warning shots to stop Nkunda’s fighters from taking the village of Nyanzale, in the Rutshuru district 65km north of Goma.
Government troops had abandoned the village as the rebel fighters advanced, military and UN sources said.
“At Nyanzale, a whole integrated brigade disintegrated, they fled,” Dietrich said.
Two days later, this same brigade that had been ordered to move, pulled back, pillaging the local population on its way, the UN-sponsored Radio Okapi said.
While the authorities in Kinshasa have denounced MONUC for failing to support one side or the other, the UN peacekeepers have said that their priority is to protect local civilians rather than to take sides.
On Saturday, UN peacekeepers demanded that Nkunda’s group withdraw from one position they had taken.
But when MONUC made a similar demand of government forces last week, they were accused of siding with Nkunda and attacked by demonstrators in Rutshuru, north of Goma.
One UN vehicle was burned and the peacekeepers had to open fire to withdraw, wounding one demonstrator.
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