The Rwandan-backed armed anti-government group M23 launched a new attack on Wednesday in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, after having already captured Goma, a city of 2 million people, following several days of intense fighting.
The clashes between M23 and the Congolese army have resulted in at least 2,900 deaths within a week, according to the latest UN report, which had previously estimated around 900 deaths.
After capturing the capital of North Kivu province last week, M23 unilaterally declared a humanitarian ceasefire yesterday.
More than 100 armed groups are fighting for control of eastern Congo, a region rich in untapped mineral resources worth trillions of dollars.
Early yesterday morning, however, rebels and Rwandan soldiers engaged in intense fighting with the armed forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo in the neighboring South Kivu province. According to sources from the French Press Agency, security forces, and humanitarian organizations operating in the area, they quickly captured the town of Nyamibwe, home to mines and quarries, located about 100 kilometers from Bukavu and 70 kilometers from the provincial airport.
