UN peacekeeping chief meets M23 leaders in Goma amid ongoing conflict
The meeting focused on the mandate of the UN peacekeeping mission, MONUSCO, particularly its role in protecting civilians.
The head of the UN peacekeeping mission in Congo, Bintou Keita, on Friday met leaders of the M23 rebel group in Goma, marking her first visit to the city since it fell under insurgent control.
The meeting focused on the mandate of the UN peacekeeping mission, MONUSCO, particularly its role in protecting civilians.
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Keita met Corneille Nangaa, the leader of the Congo River Alliance, which includes M23, along with other representatives.
According to Keita, the rebel leaders “expressed their willingness to find a peaceful solution to the crisis.”
The conflict in eastern Congo has stretched on for decades, but intensified in January when M23 seized Goma, a strategic city in North Kivu province.
The rebels went on to capture Bukavu in February. In April, Congo’s army and M23 agreed to work toward a truce, but clashes between the two sides have continued.
The meeting came amid growing concern over human rights violations in rebel-held areas.
In May, Amnesty International accused M23 of killing, torturing, and forcibly disappearing civilian detainees in Goma and Bukavu.
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