Fresh fighting flares up in eastern DR Congo

GOMA, Democratic Republic of Congo — Fighting erupted on Tuesday in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, three days after a call by African leaders for a ceasefire and a brief lull in the conflict.

Armed group militias of the March 23 Movement attacked Congolese army positions in South Kivu Province at dawn, local and security sources told AFP.

The resurgence comes after African leaders called on their general staff to propose a plan for implementing an "unconditional" ceasefire by Thursday — in a conflict that has killed thousands and driven vast numbers from their homes.

Clashes took place on Tuesday near the village of Ihusi, around 70 kilometers from the provincial capital Bukavu and 40 kilometers from the province's airport, according to security sources.

The M23 has in recent months swiftly seized tracts of territory in the eastern part of DR Congo after again taking up arms in late 2021.

The armed group began advancing in South Kivu after taking control of Goma, the capital of neighboring North Kivu Province, at the end of January.

Bukavu has been preparing for an M23 offensive for several days, with schools shuttering in the city on Friday as residents began to flee and shops closed over fears of an imminent attack.

Banks were still shut in the city on Tuesday.

Since Jan 26, more than 3,000 people have reportedly been killed, 2,880 injured and over 500,000 displaced, adding to the 6.4 million already internally displaced people in eastern DR Congo, according to the United Nations.

The suspension of US foreign aid has hampered UN humanitarian operations in the DR Congo, a senior UN official said on Tuesday.

The US suspension of foreign aid "is having a major impact" on humanitarian aid operations in the country, Bruno Lemarquis, deputy special representative of the UN secretary-general, resident coordinator and humanitarian coordinator for DR Congo, told reporters via video from the capital Kinshasa.

The humanitarian situation in Goma is also worsening with no running water in large parts of the city and residents forced to take water from Lake Kivu.

An increase in cholera cases has been seen in the region, particularly among people displaced by the conflict, the UN humanitarian agency OCHA said.

The crisis in DR Congo is set to be discussed at an African Union meeting in Addis Ababa on Friday.

Agencies - Xinhua