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According to the report, the UN says at least 700 people have been killed in intense fighting in Goma, the largest city in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, since Sunday.UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said 2,800 people have been injured, as M23 rebels - backed by Rwanda - captured the capital of North Kivu province. The rebels are now reported to be moving south towards Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu. The conflict in eastern DR Congo dates back to the 1990s but has rapidly escalated in recent weeks.
The report said that M23, which is made up of ethnic Tutsis, say they are fighting for minority rights, while DR Congo's government says the Rwanda-backed rebels are seeking control of the eastern region's vast mineral wealth.
Advertisement On Friday, Dujarric said the casualty figures came from an assessment made by the World Health Organization and its partners, alongside the DR Congo's government, between Sunday and Thursday.
The report also stated that in an attempt to halt M23's progress, the DR Congo military has set up a defensive line on the road between Goma and Bukavu, according to the AFP news agency. Hundreds of civilian volunteers have been enlisted to defend Bukavu
The report added that Jean-Jacques Purusi Sadiki, the governor of South Kivu - the province M23 are marching on - told Reuters news agency the government army and its allies were holding back the rebels, though that claim has not been independently verified. Earlier this week, M23 vowed to continue its offensive until it reached the capital Kinshasa, about 2,600km (1,600 miles) to the west.
In a statement, the 16-member group "reaffirmed its solidarity and unwavering commitment to continue supporting the DRC in its pursuit of safeguarding its independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity".
Sadc has sent peacekeeping troops, primarily from South Africa, to DR Congo to combat armed groups like the M23 and restore peace in the mineral-rich region after decades of unrest. Sixteen soldiers from southern African countries have been killed in clashes with the M23 around Goma in the past week. The fighting has also worsened the humanitarian crisis in eastern DR Congo.
DR Congo is Africa's second-largest country - about two-thirds the size of Western Europe - and borders nine different countries.
Report Source: BBC
The report said that M23, which is made up of ethnic Tutsis, say they are fighting for minority rights, while DR Congo's government says the Rwanda-backed rebels are seeking control of the eastern region's vast mineral wealth.
Advertisement On Friday, Dujarric said the casualty figures came from an assessment made by the World Health Organization and its partners, alongside the DR Congo's government, between Sunday and Thursday.
The report also stated that in an attempt to halt M23's progress, the DR Congo military has set up a defensive line on the road between Goma and Bukavu, according to the AFP news agency. Hundreds of civilian volunteers have been enlisted to defend Bukavu
The report added that Jean-Jacques Purusi Sadiki, the governor of South Kivu - the province M23 are marching on - told Reuters news agency the government army and its allies were holding back the rebels, though that claim has not been independently verified. Earlier this week, M23 vowed to continue its offensive until it reached the capital Kinshasa, about 2,600km (1,600 miles) to the west.
In a statement, the 16-member group "reaffirmed its solidarity and unwavering commitment to continue supporting the DRC in its pursuit of safeguarding its independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity".
Sadc has sent peacekeeping troops, primarily from South Africa, to DR Congo to combat armed groups like the M23 and restore peace in the mineral-rich region after decades of unrest. Sixteen soldiers from southern African countries have been killed in clashes with the M23 around Goma in the past week. The fighting has also worsened the humanitarian crisis in eastern DR Congo.
DR Congo is Africa's second-largest country - about two-thirds the size of Western Europe - and borders nine different countries.
Report Source: BBC
