Rebels declare ceasefire in DR CongoRebels declare ceasefire in DR Congo
By Spurb Ernest
The UN says at least 900 bodies were recovered on the streets last week after fighting in the country’s eastern city of Goma
An alliance of rebel groups in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo), which includes M23 fighters, has declared a ceasefire after weeks of intense battle with the national army and peacekeepers.
The pause in fighting will start on Tuesday to allow humanitarian access to the region, the Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC) announced in a statement on Monday.
The unilateral decision comes amid mounting calls for an immediate ceasefire as the rebels seize large swathes of territory in the Central African country’s east, including Goma, a city on the Rwandan border and the capital of DR Congo’s North Kivu province.
On Monday, the World Health Organization reported that at least “900 bodies have been recovered from the streets, not including those already in morgues,” as of last Friday, following days of fighting between M23 and Congolese soldiers in Goma. Nearly 2,900 people have been injured in the hostilities, the WHO said, warning of “the risk of spreading mpox, cholera, and measles due to the displacement of populations who do not have easy access to medical care.”
According to the UN health agency, the city of 2 million people is in desperate need of fuel and medical supplies.
