The AFC/M23 rebellion in eastern DR Congo have accused the government coalition of attacking their positions and “densely populated areas” in violation of a ceasefire that took effect on August 5. The M23 rebel group, which is part of the Congo River Alliance (AFC), said the attacks by government forces and their allied militias killed at least five people in North Kivu province on Thursday, September 12. ALSO READ: DR Congo: Kenyan female truck driver ‘kidnapped’ by FDLR “These actions could lead to a full-scale war despite the ongoing efforts of regional leaders and international partners to restore peace in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo,” said M23 spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka in a statement on Thursday. He said the rebels were “concerned about ongoing attacks on the civilian population,” which had resulted in the death of a woman in Burafansa, three herdsmen in Bihambwe and one man in Kisangani, Tongo. The Congolese army did not respond to the allegations. ALSO READ: Who are the M23 rebels in DR Congo? The ceasefire agreed in Luanda, Angola by regional leaders has been weakened by reports of fighting in North Kivu. Both parties had welcomed the ceasefire. Since at least August 25, the rebels reported attacks by the government coalition, which includes the FDLR, a militia linked to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, Burundian forces as well as troops from the Southern African Development Community (SADC). Eastern DR Congo is home to more than 200 armed groups accused of various atrocities and human rights violations. Multiple regional and international interventions have failed to end violence in the region that has been volatile for about three decades.
