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The situation in eastern DR Congo is catastrophic and there is a risk the conflict will escalate regionally, humanitarian groups said Wednesday.
The M23 rebel group, supported by Rwanda, launched an offensive in the North Kivu province in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) at the end of 2021 and since then has seized large swathes of territory.
The conflict has killed scores of people and according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs there are already 2.8 million displaced people in North Kivu.
Rebels have almost completely encircled Goma, the capital of North Kivu province.
“I lack words, it’s catastrophic,” human rights activist Justine Masika Bihamba said, describing the situation in Goma and the surrounding areas where thousands are displaced.
“The conflict has reached levels of violence rarely seen in the area,” Sophia Gerdes, the North Kivu coordinator for Action Against Hunger, said during an online briefing in the DRC.
Several speakers at the briefing also said the conflict risks spreading to other African countries.
The United States on July 5 announced a humanitarian truce between warring parties.
But it “did not hold, the skirmishes continued”, Gerdes said.
Even if the fighting between rebels and DRC armed forces has fallen since the start of the truce “all parties are in the process of preparing to resume the war”, Patrick Kikandi president of Congo Peace Network said.
“We need a global ceasefire… a cessation of hostilities,” the humanitarian groups said.
The online briefing came a day ahead of a meeting of the African Union which is due to take place on Thursday in Ghana capital Accra.
“We have always spoken about African solidarity, we call on the Excellences who will meet (in Accra) to see the suffering of the Congolese people,” Masika said.
She also called on the “presidents of DRC and Rwanda” to “put their egos aside” and discuss the issue so Congolese people can “have peace”.
Mediation between the two countries was initiated by Angolan President Joao Lourenco but has not been successful so far.
at/keo/spb
