There is intense fighting as Rwanda-backed M23 rebels push towards the second-largest city in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, escalating the conflict in the region. M23 fighters are advancing south towards Bukavu after capturing Goma, the largest city in the area. The Congolese army has established a defensive line between the two cities. The M23 group has vowed to continue their offensive towards the capital, Kinshasa. Civilian volunteers have been mobilized to defend Bukavu, with one young man expressing readiness to sacrifice for his country. The regional bloc Sadc is meeting to address the situation in DR Congo, where peacekeeping troops are combating armed groups like the M23. The humanitarian crisis in eastern DR Congo has worsened, with residents facing shortages of food, clean water, and medical supplies. Reports of sexual violence by Congolese troops and summary executions by M23 have emerged. Rwanda denies accusations of illegal occupation and exploitation of mineral resources in DR Congo, while calls for sanctions and suspensions of aid continue. El grupo humanitario ha acusado a ambos lados de cometer graves abusos contra civiles.
El Secretario General de la ONU, Antonio Guterres, ha advertido que el conflicto actual corre el riesgo de escalar a una guerra regional más amplia.
El ejército de Uganda ha dicho que fortalecerá sus defensas a lo largo de la frontera con la República Democrática del Congo en respuesta a los combates aumentados.
La República Democrática del Congo es un país vasto, aproximadamente dos tercios del tamaño de Europa Occidental, que limita con nueve países diferentes.
Conflictos anteriores en el país, en la década de 1990, han involucrado a varios vecinos y fueron apodados “las Guerras Mundiales de África”.
[BBC]
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