The M23 rebels have captured the strategic town of Kitshanga in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) after days of intense fighting, which has drawn condemnation from the United Nations (UN). The DRC army confirmed on Friday that its forces had withdrawn from the town, calling it a tactical move to protect civilians from the renewed offensive by the rebels.
According to Lieutenant-Colonel Guillaume Ndjike, spokesman for the military governor of North Kivu, “We have tactically withdrawn from the city in order to attract these genocidal forces deep into the city and avoid the worst for our people in Kitshanga.” He added that the army was making every effort to remove the rebels from the town.
The M23 rebels took control of Kitshanga on Thursday after capturing several villages along the road linking the town of around 60,000 people to the provincial capital Goma, located about 90 kilometers away. Videos posted on social media appear to show M23 fighters celebrating and claiming that they have captured the town.
In a statement, M23 political spokesman Lawrence Kanyuka accused government troops of attacking civilians in Kitshanga and other areas, and stated that the rebel group was “obliged to intervene and stop another genocide.” Angelique Mukeshimana, a mother of four, fled to a makeshift displacement site on the outskirts of Goma, telling The Associated Press, “We have just been through the war in Kitshanga, we saw M23 killing people, we were afraid, that’s why we fled so we wouldn’t die, too.”
The UN peacekeeping mission, MONUSCO, reported that over 500 people, including women and children, are seeking refuge at its base in Kitshanga following the M23 rebels assaults. MONUSCO spokesperson Ndeye Khady Lo stated that civilians fleeing from the town have been provided with tents, food, water, and first aid. Lo added that the M23 must “cease all hostilities and withdraw from the occupied areas.”
The recent fighting has displaced at least 450,000 people. In November, regional leaders agreed that M23 fighters would withdraw from the eastern areas of the DRC, but the M23 has been accused of violating the ceasefire. The M23, which the government in Kinshasa claims is backed by Rwanda, has seized parts of Rutshuru and Nyiragongo, north of Goma. The United Nations and the European Union have accused Rwanda of supporting the M23, but Rwanda has denied the claims.
Pope Francis was scheduled to visit the DRC capital, Kinshasa, for a three-day trip, but the Vatican cancelled the eastward visit due to the rising violence.
Image Credit: Djaffar Sabiti/Reuters
