Thousands of people are once again fleeing in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The reason for this are violent attacks by the M23 rebel movement. Apparently, UN blue helmets are now also in their sights.
Peacekeepers from the Organization for the Stabilization of the Congo (MONUSCO) along with civilians patrol the areas affected by the recent attacks by the M23 rebels, March 29, 2022.
(dpa)
According to the military, rebels shot down a helicopter belonging to the UN peacekeeping mission Monusco in the north-east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. According to the information, there were eight people on board – in addition to the crew, there were also UN observers from Pakistan, Russia and Serbia. There are no survivors, the United Nations said in New York on Tuesday. The machine – one of two reconnaissance helicopters used by the UN mission – was over the Rutshuru region controlled by the M23 rebel movement. The military now wants to try to get to the crash site and look for possible survivors, emphasized Ekenge.
The UN observers wanted to get an idea of the refugee movements to Uganda that have been going on for days in the North Kivu region. So far, around 6,000 civilians have fled. The Uganda Red Cross justified this with the violent attacks by the M23 rebels on civilians and military installations in north-eastern Congo. The refugees are in a temporary camp in Bunagana. More people are expected, said Red Cross spokeswoman Irene Nakasita of the German Press Agency. The East African landlocked country with 44 million inhabitants is already home to around 1.5 million refugees from South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The M23 movement consists of ex-soldiers from the Congolese army who split off in 2012 and formed a rebel group. The government in Kinshasa sees the influence of neighboring Rwanda behind its strengthening and summoned its ambassador. The Rwandan government has denied the allegations and reports of the arrest of two Rwandan soldiers in the ranks of the M23. Monusco boss Bintou Keita condemned the renewed offensive by the M23 and called for immediate, unconditional surrender.
The rebels accuse the government in Kinshasa of disregarding an agreement that provides for the reintegration of the fighters into the army and civil society. According to the United States, around 130 different armed groups are said to be active in the DR Congo; many of them are concerned with controlling the valuable natural resources. With around 90 million inhabitants, Congo is rich in natural resources such as copper, cobalt, gold and diamonds.