DR Congo M23 Rebels Appear To Be Quitting Goma - UN
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There are signs that Congolese rebels are withdrawing from the strategic eastern city of Goma, the United Nations said Tuesday, following a round of diplomatic efforts to prevent the conflict from spreading across the region, but Kinshasa met the pledge with caution.
The M23 rebels' rebellion has displaced tens of thousands of people and its quick advance across the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo has heightened fears of yet another major conflict in the war-blighted region.
Earlier Tuesday M23 military leader Sultani Makenga said his men would leave Goma "in three days at the latest" and pull back 20 kilometres (12 miles) under a deal struck in Kampala the previous day with an east African regional group.
The pullout deal was struck late Monday in the capital of neighbouring Uganda between Makenga and regional military commanders, who will visit Goma on Friday to monitor progress of the promised withdrawal from the capital of the mineral-rich North Kivu region.
The rebels have begun transferring arms, provisions and medical supplies from Goma to the Rutshuru territory north of the city, an area along the Ugandan and Rwandan borders that has been their main stronghold since launching their uprising in April, Makenga said.
Uganda's army chief Aronda Nyakairima told reporters there that the withdrawal would be complete by midday Thursday.
UN peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous told reporters in New York that the process of pulling the rebels out of the key city had apparently already begun.
"It seems that the advances have stopped," he said.
"If anything there were signs tonight that they were either getting out of Goma or getting ready to do that."
Ladsous said the withdrawal could only be confirmed by the UN peacekeeping mission in DR Congo on Wednesday.
Earlier Tuesday M23 military leader Sultani Makenga said his men would leave Goma "in three days at the latest" and pull back 20 kilometres (12 miles) under a deal struck in Kampala the previous day with an east African regional group.
The pullout deal was struck late Monday in the capital of neighbouring Uganda between Makenga and regional military commanders, who will visit Goma on Friday to monitor progress of the promised withdrawal from the capital of the mineral-rich North Kivu region.
The rebels have begun transferring arms, provisions and medical supplies from Goma to the Rutshuru territory north of the city, an area along the Ugandan and Rwandan borders that has been their main stronghold since launching their uprising in April, Makenga said.
Uganda's army chief Aronda Nyakairima told reporters there that the withdrawal would be complete by midday Thursday.
UN peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous told reporters in New York that the process of pulling the rebels out of the key city had apparently already begun.
"It seems that the advances have stopped," he said.
"If anything there were signs tonight that they were either getting out of Goma or getting ready to do that."
Ladsous said the withdrawal could only be confirmed by the UN peacekeeping mission in DR Congo on Wednesday.
