Fighting in Congo Approaches Goma
By VOA News
29 October 2008
Rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo have positioned themselves in areas close to Goma, after beating back government forces who hastily retreated to the provincial capital.
Witnesses said there was heavy artillery, machine gun and small arms fire in areas 10 to 20 kilometers north of Goma Wednesday, which is right next to Rwanda.
The United Nations told Reuters news agency it was evacuating staff from Goma to a nearby disarmament camp, while Congolese civilians streamed into the city, fleeing the fighting in nearby areas.
U.N. peacekeepers used attack helicopters for a second successive day Wednesday, trying to stop the rebel advance, which has met little resistance from Congolese government forces. Rebels said they would try to take Goma in the next few days.
Tuesday, the head of the United Nations mission in Congo, Alan Doss, said peacekeepers would defend Goma. But he added that his troops, who have been using combat helicopters to support government forces, are stretched to the limit.
Authorities in Kinshasa suggested a new multinational force could help as well.
The renewed fighting which began Sunday has caused tens of thousands of people to run away from their homes.
North Kivu province has been racked by continuous violence despite the end of Congo's regional war in 2003, and new peace deals to end the fighting out east.
Rebels led by renegade General Laurent Nkunda say they are defending ethnic Tutsis against ethnic Hutus fighters from Rwanda's genocide they say are backed by Congo's army.
Congo's government denies this. Congolese authorities have accused neighboring Rwanda of backing Nkunda.
Rwanda says the fighting is Congo's internal affair. Both countries have also accused each other's armies of crossing the border during the recent clashes.
A U.S. State Department spokeswoman said the United States is deeply concerned about the clashes and the worsening humanitarian situation in Congo. She called on all parties to respect an August cease-fire and said Washington is examining what additional measures and resources might be needed to protect peacekeepers and civilians in Congo.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
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