The UN says at least 900 bodies were recovered on the streets last week after fighting in the country’s eastern city of Goma
An alliance of rebel groups in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo), which includes M23 fighters, has declared a ceasefire after weeks of intense battle with the national army and peacekeepers.
The pause in fighting will start on Tuesday to allow humanitarian access to the region, the Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC) announced in a statement on Monday.
“We condemn the FARDC’s [Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo] continued use of military aircraft at Kavumu Airport, where they load bombs that kill our compatriots in liberated areas,” the AFC stated.
The unilateral decision comes amid mounting calls for an immediate ceasefire as the rebels seize large swathes of territory in the Central African country’s east, including Goma, a city on the Rwandan border and the capital of DR Congo’s North Kivu province.
On Monday, the World Health Organization reported that at least “900 bodies have been recovered from the streets, not including those already in morgues,” as of last Friday, following days of fighting between M23 and Congolese soldiers in Goma. Nearly 2,900 people have been injured in the hostilities, the WHO said, warning of “the risk of spreading mpox, cholera, and measles due to the displacement of populations who do not have easy access to medical care.”
According to the UN health agency, the city of 2 million people is in desperate need of fuel and medical supplies.
The former Belgian colony’s resource-rich east has been plagued by decades of violence, with dozens of armed groups fighting the local authorities over minerals such as gold and diamonds. Since the beginning of the year, M23 rebels have been carrying out an offensive against the government, killing several foreign peacekeeping soldiers, including more than a dozen from South Africa.
The militants were reportedly gaining ground in other areas and advancing toward another provincial capital, Bukavu, after capturing Goma last week, but on Monday they denied having any intentions to do this.
“We have no intention of capturing Bukavu or other areas. However, we reiterate our commitment to protecting and defending the civilian population and our positions,” the Alliance Fleuve Congo announced.
The conflict has strained relations between the DR Congo government and the authorities in Rwanda. Kinshasa has repeatedly accused the neighboring state of providing support – a claim Kigali has consistently denied.
Russia and several other countries have called for an immediate cessation of hostilities and a resumption of peace negotiations. Last week, the East African Community convened an emergency summit to discuss the security situation and to explore diplomatic solutions to the conflict. However, Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi did not attend the meeting convened by Kenyan President William Ruto.
