Congo rebels take another town amid ceasefire

A view shows the remains of a vehicle hit by heavy and light weapons during the fighting in the town that led to the fall of Goma into the hands of the M23 rebels, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. — ARLETTE BASHIZI/REUTERS

GOMA—Rwandan-backed M23 rebels have seized control of a mining town in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo’s South Kivu province, eight sources said on Wednesday, in an apparent violation of a unilateral ceasefire they declared this week.

The capture of Nyabibwe on Lake Kivu takes the rebels a step closer to the provincial capital Bukavu some 70 kilometers south, a city the rebels said last week they had no intention of capturing.

M23 announced a ceasefire on Monday.

Eight people, including local officials, a civil society representative, rebels and an international security source, confirmed Nyabibwe had fallen to the rebels.

Congo’s communications minister Patrick Muyaya told Reuters rebels violated the ceasefire at night and were facing resistance from Congolese armed forces around Nyabibwe.

Corneille Nangaa, leader of the Congo River Alliance rebel coalition that includes M23, confirmed the group moved into Nyabibwe.

“They attacked us and we defended ourselves,” he said.

Reuters

Reuters, the news and media division of Thomson Reuters, is the world’s largest multimedia news provider, reaching billions of people worldwide every day. Reuters provides business, financial, national and international news to professionals via desktop terminals, the world's media organizations, industry events and directly to consumers.