Democratic Republic of Congo

Rebels pull back from military base

Article published on the 2008-10-10 Latest update 2008-10-10 16:26 TU

Fighters supporting Laurent Nkunda on Thursday pulled out of a military camp that they had captured from the DRC's army in fierce fighting. The camp is located in the town of Rumangabo, about 50 kilometres north of Goma, the provincial capital of Nord Kivu. The province itself borders Rwanda and Uganda.

Bertrand Bisimwa the spokesman for Nkunda's National Congress for the Defence of the People (CNDP), said the withdrawal had taken place to increase the possibility of peace. It came after a request from the UN Special Representative to the organisation's Secretary General, Alan Doss.

Doss said on Friday that the UN would do everything it could to prevent an escalation of the conflict in the east of the DRC.

The DRC's Minister for Foreign Affairs, Antipas Mbusa Nyamwisi, said that Rwandans wanted to take Goma, but no independant source has yet confirmed this and the Rwandan government has described the declaration as "ridiculous".

The DRC has long accused Rwanda of supporting militants, in the east of the country, that are hostile to Congolese President Joseph Kabila.

The DRC has requested an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council to discuss what it says is an incursion by Rwandan troops into its territory.

The head of the African Union commission, Jean Ping is in Kinshasa this weekend as part of the AU's attempts to maintain the Goma Agreement's ceasefire.

President Kabila on Thursday appealed to the country to support the DRC's army. He said the current Goma peace agreement was the only framework for considering potential grievances.