Congolese military says rebels massacred 50 civilians in japanese city By Reuters

KINSHASA (Reuters) -Democratic Republic of Congo’s armed forces on Thursday mentioned M23 rebels and their allies killed 50 civilians in a bloodbath within the japanese city of Kishishe this week, which the M23 denied.

Congo’s military and the M23, a Tutsi-led militia, have been locked in preventing for months within the nation’s restive east, with every accusing the opposite of initiating assaults.

“The M23 Motion rejects the baseless allegations made in opposition to it in Kishishe,” mentioned the group’s political spokesperson, Lawrence Kanyuka, in an announcement.

“The M23 reminds the worldwide and nationwide neighborhood that it has by no means focused civilian populations,” he mentioned.

The United Nations and a U.S. diplomat additionally mentioned that they had details about civilian killings on Tuesday in Kishishe, North Kivu province, however didn’t give particulars. Each referred to as for an investigation.

“We’re deeply saddened by the bloodbath of civilians in Kishishe, which might represent a struggle crime,” Stephanie Miley, cost d’affaires for the U.S. Embassy in Kinshasa, mentioned on Twitter.

A spokesperson for the U.N. Secretary-Normal mentioned the United Nations had acquired studies of human rights abuses dedicated throughout clashes between the M23 and native militias in Kishishe, which included a excessive variety of civilian casualties.

Congo and U.N. specialists say neighbouring Rwanda helps the M23, which Rwanda has persistently denied. The 2 international locations took half in talks final week in Angola aimed toward discovering options to the battle.

One in every of their agreements was that an East African Group (EAC) regional power would intervene in opposition to the M23 if it didn’t cease preventing and withdraw from its positions.

The EAC began sending troops into japanese Congo earlier this yr to assist battle varied armed teams. A South Sudan military spokesman on Thursday mentioned a battalion of 700 South Sudan troops could be despatched to hitch the regional power.

Earlier on Thursday, hundreds of individuals took to the streets of Goma and Bukavu, the 2 important cities in Congo’s east, to protest the deterioration of the safety state of affairs.