The Congolese army said in a statement that Rwandan troops had taken over the city. Congo has repeatedly accused Rwanda of backing the M23, which is led by the same Tutsi ethnic group as Rwandan President Paul Kagame. The Rwandan military and government have not immediately responded to requests for comment. Rwanda has previously denied involvement in the recent M23 attacks. read more Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register The occupation of Bunagana marked a major setback for Congolese forces, who said a day earlier that the rebels had fled. The United Nations and the African Union have expressed concern about growing violence in an area where conflict in the 1990s and 2000s claimed millions of lives, mostly from disease and famine, and has given birth to dozens of militias that remain active to this day. Bunagana was a M23 stronghold during a 2012 uprising that briefly occupied the large city of Goma before Congolese and UN forces chased rebels into neighboring Rwanda and Uganda the following year. read more The office of North Kivo’s military governor said on Sunday that Congolese forces had “launched” the M23 following attacks near Bunagana, one of Uganda’s main crossing points. read more But M23 issued a statement Monday saying it was in control of the city. Two local activists confirmed that it had fallen into the hands of the guerrillas, while the army said it had fallen in Rwanda. “Our troops have taken control of the city of Bunagana since the morning of Monday, June 13,” M23 spokesman Willy Ngoma said in a statement. He said occupying the city was not their goal, but that they decided to do so after repeated attacks by the Congolese army and allied groups. “We call on President Felix Tshisekedi once again to seize this opportunity to end the violence caused by this useless war and to start direct negotiations with our movement,” the M23 statement said. It was not possible to contact a government spokesman directly for comment. The Congolese government suspended negotiations with the M23 in Kenya in April.
‘DESPAIRING SITUATION’
The fighting prompted more than 30,000 Congolese asylum seekers and 137 Congolese soldiers to cross into Uganda on Monday, Shaffiq Sekandi, Uganda’s regional commissioner for the Kisoro region, told Reuters. “Everything is over, the streets are full, others have gone to churches, they are under trees, everywhere. It is a really desperate situation,” he said. The United Nations had previously said 25,000 people had fled the violence on Sunday. A spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was concerned about deteriorating security in eastern Congo, including the M23 attacks. The region has been in constant conflict since Rwanda and Uganda invaded twice in the 1990s. The chairman of the African Union Commission, Musa Faki Mahamat, has called for an immediate end to hostilities and talks between Congo and Rwanda to resolve the growing diplomatic crisis. General Sylvain Ekenge, a spokesman for the North Kivu military government, said the occupation of Bunagana was an “invasion” from Rwanda that would have consequences. Tensions have risen between neighbors in recent weeks, with accusations of strikes on both sides. read more While Rwanda denies supporting the M23, it accuses Congo of collaborating with another militia group, the FDLR, which was founded by Hutu nationals who fled Rwanda after their involvement in the 1994 genocide. Congo denies the allegations. During the 2012-2013 conflict, Congolese and UN investigators accused Rwanda and Uganda of supporting M23, which they denied. On Monday, two senior Congolese security sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, also accused the Ugandan military of backing the M23 attack. The Ugandan army spokesman, Brigadier General Felix Kulayigye, denied any involvement. “We are only closely monitoring what is happening from the border and we have been in this position for months,” he said. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register Report by Djaffar Sabiti in Goma and Stanis Bujakera in Kinshasa. Additional references by Erikas Mwisi Kambale in Beni and Elias Biryabarema in Kampala. Written by Sofia Christensen and Nellie Peyton. Editing by Aaron Ross, Alison Williams and David Evans Our role models: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
