Tutsi-led M23 rebel group have turned a deaf ear to calls for a ceasefire, setting attacks on Eastern Congo just a day after Presidents of Rwanda and Congo called for a ceasefire.
Reports indicate that the attacks were set on the outskirts of Walikale in Congo’s Eastern part, where residents confirmed that that the rebels were engaged in combat with both Congolese soldiers and pro-government militia after launching a surprise attack on an army position just outside the town.
Walikale, a town with a population of around 15,000 and located in a mineral-rich region, marks the furthest westward point the M23 rebels have reached during their rapid offensive this year.
Situated about 125 km (80 miles) northwest of Goma, Congo’s largest eastern city, which fell to the rebels in January, Walikale places the M23 fighters within 400 km of Kisangani, the country’s fourth-largest city.
The attack took place even as the presidents of Congo and neighboring Rwanda met Tuesday in Qatar for their first direct talks calling for an immediate ceasefire in the restive region.
