FIERCE FIGHTING AS DR CONGO REBELS SEEK TO MAKE FURTHER ADVANCES
FIERCE FIGHTING AS DR CONGO REBELS SEEK TO MAKE FURTHER ADVANCES
(BBC) There has been fierce fighting as Rwanda-backed M23 rebels advance towards the second-largest city in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, marking a further escalation in the region’s conflict.
M23 fighters have been moving south, towards Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu, after capturing the largest city in the region, Goma.
The Congolese army has set up a defensive line on the road between the two cities, according to the AFP news agency.
Earlier this week, the M23 group vowed to continue their offensive until they reached the capital, Kinshasa, which is 2,600km (1,600 miles) away.
Hundreds of civilian volunteers have been enlisted to defend Bukavu.
One young man told AFP: “I am ready to die for my country.”
At least 700 people have been killed and more than 2,800 injured since Sunday, according to Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres.
The death toll is likely to rise, he added.
