Congo rebels begin pullout from Goma

Congolese M23 rebels began retreating from the territory they seized last week and pulled out of the town of Masisi, their military leader said Wednesday, in the first concrete sign that international pressures have stemmed the advance of the fighters.The rebels took the provincial capital of Goma, and other nearby towns in eastern Congo without much of a battle last week, as the Congolese army fled in disarray and U.N. peacekeepers held fire.A group of leaders for countries neighboring Congo called for M23 to retreat no later than Friday to 20 kilometers (12 miles) outside of Goma.Gen. Sultani Makenga, the military chief for the rebellion, said that his fighters intend to abide by the ultimatum issued by the nations. He said he had ordered his fighters to retreat along the southeastern axis from Masisi to Goma, and they will then leave Goma via the northern route to Rutshuru.“My soldiers began to retreat from Masisi yesterday. We will go via Goma and then after that we will retreat to 20 kilometers (12 miles) past Goma toward Rutshuru,” Makenga told The Associated Press on Friday. “I think that by Friday we will be able to complete this.”Congo’s government spokesman Lambert Mende, who is based in the country’s capital over 1,600 kilometers (1,000 miles) to the west, confirmed that they had received reports of troops pulling out of Masisi.“Yes, there are reports of movements (of their fighters out of Masisi) but we won’t label it a retreat until it’s over. They have played this game with us before, where they say they are moving and then find a reason not to,” Mende said. “There will be no negotiations with Congo until they are 20 kilometres (12 miles) outside the Goma city limit.”In Goma, there was scepticism over the rebels’ claim and confusion, after the leader of M23’s political wing insisted that the fighters were not leaving the city of 1 million that is the economic heart of one of Congo’s mineral-rich regions.About 1,500 U.N. peacekeepers were in Goma when M23 attacked on Nov. 20 and government forces fled, but the well-armed U.N. peacekeepers did not intervene, saying they lacked the mandate to do so. One of their main missions is to protect civilians.Agencies