UN mission increases patrols in DRC's Goma

UNITED NATIONS - A UN spokesperson said Monday that in response to reports of movements by rebels around Goma, the Democratic Republic of Congo, UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the DR Congo (MONUSCO) has stepped up its patrols of the area.

"The situation on the ground in North Kivu and South Kivu remains tense and fragile, with reports of movements of M23 rebels around Goma, in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)," said Martin Nesirky, spokesperson to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. "Over the weekend MONUSCO stepped up ground patrols and air reconnaissance flights in response to these reports."

Last month, the armed rebel group violently seized Goma, the capital city of North Kivu province, with widespread attacks on its civilians. More than 475,000 people in DRC have so far been displaced internally because of their movements.

After the international community strongly condemned their actions, the M23 deployed back to Sake, a town in the northwest of Goma. Since then, ongoing talks to reach a peace agreement between the government of DRC and the M23 in Uganda, have made little progress.

"The UN Mission was able to confirm the presence of M23 rebels in several locations in North Kivu, including near Rwindi, Kibati and in the Masisi area near Moja," said the spokesperson. "Such movements are in breach of Security Council Resolution 2076."  

The resolution, unanimously adopted on Nov 20, demanded the immediate withdrawal of the M23 rebels and called for all external support to the rebel group to cease.