AFRICAN UNION URGES M23 DISARMAMENT -To avert regional war in Congo
The African Union (AU) on Sunday (February 16) urged the M23 rebel group to disarm in order to avert a wider war in the Democratic Republic of Congo, as chaotic scenes unfolded in the eastern city of Bukavu after rebels reached the city.
The Rwanda-backed M23 rebels have been pushing south towards Bukavu, the second-largest city in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, since they seized Goma, the largest city, at the end of last month. They reached Bukavu’s northern suburb Bagira on Friday evening, and took the city center Sunday morning.
“We are all very, very concerned about an open regional war in eastern DRC,” AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Bankole Adeoye, said at a press conference in Addis Ababa. “We reiterated the need for caution and the need for M23 and its supporters to disarm and withdraw from the Goma airport and other occupied territories.”
The situation has raised fears that the region could slip back into a broader war reminiscent of conflicts in the 1990s and 2000s that killed millions.
