The rebels supported in Rwanda who seized the capital in Eastern Congo declared a one -sided truce, citing humanitarian basics.
But there were no signs that he would give up controls over Goma in the center of the region to the house to the trillion of dollars of mineral wealth.
“It must be clear that we have no intention of capturing noise or other areas. However, we repeat our dedication to the protection and defense of the civilian population and our views,” the spokesman for M23 Lawrence Kanyuk said in a statement.
The announcement on Monday came after the World Health Organization announced that at least 900 people had died in last week’s struggles between the M23 and Congoan forces rebel after the rebels seized the City of Gom. About 2,900 people were also wounded in the fight, according to the UN Health Agency.
Rebels claim to be defended by ethnically tutsis
The M23 rebels supported about 4,000 soldiers from neighboring Rwanda, according to the UN experts, far more than in 2012, when they first captured Goma.
They are the most powerful of more than 100 armed groups that are controlled by the East -rich Mineral Congo, which hold huge deposits critical for most of the world technology.
M23 says he defends ethnically Tutsis in Congo. Rwanda claimed that Tutsis persecuted Hutus and the former militia responsible for the 1994 genocide of 800,000 Tuts in that country.
The world food program warns of food shortages, pure water and medical supplies in Gomi, in Eastern Congo, where the waves of struggle displaced thousands of people and disrupted chains of supply.
Many Hutus fled to Congo after the genocide and founded democratic forces to release the Rwanda militia group. Rwanda says that the group is “fully integrated” in the Congolian army, which denies the charges.
The rebels are stated that they are progressing in the other provincial capital, Bukava, after five days of struggle over Gom last week. But their spokesman denied that this was their intention in his statement.
There was no direct comment from the Congo Government, although the joint summit of regional blocks of southern and eastern Africa was scheduled for later this week. Congo and Rwanda will be present, Kenya President William Ruto said on Monday.
Families rush to identify the bodies
In the meantime, families justify identifying their loved ones, because the body bags were loaded on funeral trucks in the crowd.
Crying Chiza Nyenyezi recalled her son died of a firearm injury.
“Muzalendo shot him in the back [and] He got out of his chest, “Nyennyezi said, referring to a militia group that was federal for the Congol army.” His whole chest was open. “
Louise Shalukoma said her son’s body could not immediately recover from the streets because she had a bomb as people tried to retrieve her.
“My God, my fourth child, when I saw that he was dead, I said, ‘Sir, what will I do? “” She said. “This m23 war came for me in the bunch.”
Goma hospitals that fight
Gomins of hospitals are also struggling to be ongoing with hundreds of wounded people.
Bethesda Hospital says more than 100 new patients are receiving more than 100 new patients, which overpowered the capacity of 250 beds. It is one of several hospitals in the crowd that Associated Press visited who has inadequate staff and stock.
Kyeshero is also seriously overwhelmed, guessing more than 200 percent of his capacity for several days, according to Joseph Amadomon Sagar, a project coordinator for doctors without borders, who runs the hospital.
Hospital medical workers say they treat a growing number of patients with bullet wounds.
“We removed 48 bullets yesterday,” Johnny Casanga, a surgeon, said on Friday, as he examined the patient under the tent.
In the past, hospitals in the crowd could transport wounded patients by boat to the capital Bukava in southern Kivua, 180 kilometers in the south. But the transportation of Lake Kivo was suspended during the rebellion and the roads were mostly cut.
The fights to and around Goma also disturbed the supply chains, which led to a lack of medical materials to which the help groups rely. Some of them have previously entered the city through their international airport, which is now under control of the rebels.
“Goma was cut off from the world. It was a totally darkening,” said Virginie Napolitano, an emergency coordinator for gom for doctors without borders.
As more people arrived at hospitals with firearms or shrapnel wounds, many were forced to share the beds while others lay on the floor, suffering from pain while waiting for medical attention.
“This is the first time I’ve experienced this,” said Patrick Bagamuhund, who was wounded in the fight. “This war caused great damage, but at least we still breathe.”
