• Nkunda captures hills near Goma

Fierce fighting between Maj. Gen. Laurent Nkunda and a coalition of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC), Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) rebel forces and other smaller militias resumed on Wednesday with the Nkunda forces capturing several hills surrounding the Goma-Rutchuro road.

The renewed fighting comes days after a ceasefire that followed the capture of Rumangabo barracks and a meeting between Nkunda and EU special envoy in the region, Ambassador Van de Geer.

The meeting led to CNDP’s withdrawal from the barracks on some conditions.

In an interview with the press on Wednesday, Nkunda confirmed the renewed fighting.

Sources on the ground said that the FARDC fighting alongside the FDLR were on the same day (Wednesday) repulsed at Kikuku and Nyanzale in the general area of Tongo in the eastern DRC.

After the repulsion of the FARDC forces by the CNDP, President Joseph Kabila, who is said to have been closely following the fighting, ordered North Kivu Governor Julien Paluku to announce that all warring groups cease their hostilities and respect the disengagement plan.

The announcement was made both on Congolese National Radio and Television (RTN) and Radio Okapi which airs in the eastern part of the country.

However, despite the announcement, sources confirm that an impromptu command meeting that brought together several high ranking officers within the ranks of FARDC was called Wednesday night.

"The command meeting of the 8th military region was convened in Goma chaired by the Regional commander Brig. Gen V. Mayala and was attended by some Sector, Brigade and Battalion commanders,” confirmed a source who was in attendance.

According to the source, this meeting resolved, among other things, to change military strategies by halting attacks on CNDP forces in Rutchuro in order to focus on the CNDP Masisi stronghold.

"The meeting also resolved that FDLR units supporting FARDC should not be allowed to mix with FARDC but instead be given their axes of fighting so as to minimise possible leakage of information of ongoing collaboration with government,” said a source who attended the meeting.

The FDLR is a militia force comprising perpetrators of the 1994 Tutsi Genocide and has been listed as a negative force by the tripartite plus joint commission, a regional security platform.

When contacted to confirm the details of the meeting, Col. Delphin Kahimbi, who is in charge of operations of the 8th military region, said that he could not speak since he was in a meeting.

"I am not free to talk now because I am in a meeting,” Kahimbi who attended the command meeting said.

Also efforts to contact both Chikez Diemu, the DRC Minister of Defence and Col. Jonas Padiri, the 82nd Brigade Commander, were futile as their phones were switched off.

Padiri was also reportedly in this meeting.

Our sources further confirm that yesterday morning, a combined force of FARDC and FDLR attacked CNDP in the areas of Mweso and Gashuga and the battle was reportedly still raging by press time.

The fighting was going on in different parts of the eastern Congo but casualty figures on both sides were not readily available by press time.

After last week’s meeting between Nkunda and Ambassador Van de Geer, the former had requested for talks with Kabila in a neutral country, a suggestion to which Kabila has apparently been adamant to heed.

Fighting between Laurent Nkunda’s CNDP and a coalition of government forces, Rwandan rebels of the FDLR and other smaller militias erupted in August for the first time following the signing of a ceasefire agreement between the warring parties in January this year.

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