- Title: DR CONGO: Congolese army fires at rebel bases
- Date: 19th November 2012
- Summary: GOMA, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO (NOVEMBER 19, 2012) (REUTERS-ACCESS ALL) VARIOUS OF A CONGOLESE ARMY TANK FIRING TOWARDS REBEL POSITIONS EMPTY STREET, GOVERNMENT SOLDIER RUNNING SMOKE BILLOWING IN THE DISTANCE VARIOUS OF GOMA RESIDENTS FLEEING, SOUND OF GUNFIRE UNITED NATIONS VEHICLE DRIVING PAST, PEOPLE TAKING COVER PEOPLE FLEEING PEOPLE WALKING PAST UNITED NATIONS
- Embargoed: 4th December 2012 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Congo, The Democratic Republic of the
- Country: Congo, Democratic Republic of
- Topics: Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA7HWY8F4BDW6YV9FHVOMUQHVYP
- Story Text: Congolese army attacks rebel positions using mortar and machine-gun fire outside the provincial capital of Goma.
The Congolese army on Monday (November 19) attacked rebel positions using mortar and machine-gun fire outside the crucial provincial capital of Goma, just hours after the Kinshasa rejected the rebels' 24-hour ultimatum to open talks or face an onslaught.
The fighting resumed late afternoon, erupting with unexpected violence, forcing civilians including young children to run to safety. Streets and businesses remained shut as tanks were seen patrolling the main roads.
The Democratic Republic of Congo government dismissed a demand for truce talks, saying that the insurgent force pushing towards the city of Goma was merely a tool of neighbouring Rwanda.
The rejection meant that the worst fighting in the area in four years was only likely to intensify, bringing with it a new humanitarian crisis as refugees fled the city.
A government spokesman said it was not interested in rebel proposals or ultimatums.
United Nations experts back the government contention that Rwanda, which has intervened in Congo repeatedly over the past 18 years, is behind the M23 revolt. Rwanda denies involvement.
Congo is rich in minerals including diamonds, gold, copper and coltan, which is used in mobile phones. But little money has been spent on developing a country the size of Western Europe.
The government accuses Rwanda of wanting to control mineral resources by backing the insurgents.
The country was wracked by wars between 1994 and 2003 which killed about five million people. Many eastern areas are still plagued by violence from a variety of rebel groups.
M23 is led by mutinying soldiers who rose up eight months ago. They have now fought four days of battles to come close to Goma, home to a million people including hundreds of thousands of refugees who have fled rebel advances elsewhere.
The city, which sits at the Rwandan border on the north shore of Lake Kivu, is also the capital of North Kivu province and headquarters of a U.N. peacekeeping force.
The rebels have said they do not plan to capture Goma.
But that prospect provoked a new humanitarian crisis as thousands of refugees abandoned camps in the north of Goma to escape them, said Tariq Riebl of the British aid agency Oxfam.
Thomas D'Aquin Muiti, head of a local aid organisation, said the rebel reassurances were not to be trusted.
The United Nations has about 6,700 peacekeeping troops in North Kivu, including some 1,400 troops in and around Goma.
U.N. spokesman Kieran Dwyer said the mission had carried out helicopter strikes in support of the Congolese army at the weekend.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon condemned the rebel offensive and urged M23 to cease its attacks immediately.
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