The Congo River Alliance’s leader, which includes the M23, is wanted on international arrest warrants for war crimes and treason, according to a military court in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
According to a report released on Thursday, Corneille Nangaa’s arrest warrant was made for massacres it claimed he carried out in eastern DRC’s North Kivu and, more recently, South Kivu regions, which are crimes under both international and domestic law.
Nangaa is being detained wherever he may be located and transported to Congolese territory by the court.
Two weeks ago, when the M23 fighters launched a major offensive against government forces in Goma, a city of two million people in eastern DRC, violence broke out.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, at least 2,800 people died in Goma as a result of the violence on Wednesday.
Additionally, many people have fled to neighboring Rwanda, including staff from international organizations like the UN and the World Bank, with thousands of others having already been displaced.
Three of its local employees were killed in a recent attack in Rutshutu Territory, which the M23 fighters had earlier taken control of, according to Swiss Church Aid on Thursday. The aid group, also known as HEKS/EPER, did not say who was responsible for their deaths.
After fighting the Congolese army for Goma’s control, the M23 declared a ceasefire on Monday.  , But on Wednesday, it seized control of Nyabibwe, a mining town in eastern DRC’s South Kivu province, in an apparent violation of the unilateral ceasefire.
Eight people, including local officials, a civil society representative, rebels and an international security source, confirmed that Nyabibwe had fallen to the rebels.
The M23 rebels, according to DRC communications minister Patrick Muyaya, were facing opposition from Congolese armed forces close to Nyabibwe because they broke the ceasefire at night.
Worse humanitarian situation
UN human rights experts expressed concern about the worsening humanitarian situation in the eastern DRC on Thursday as a result of the renewed fighting.
They criticised reports of indiscriminate attacks, targeted killings, conflict-related sexual violence, forced conscription and arbitrary arrests of displaced persons.
As the humanitarian crisis in eastern DRC escalates, displaced people have no safe haven left, they said in a statement, highlighting the disproportionate impact on women and girls.
They also highlighted severe shortages of food, shelter, electricity and drinking water, warning of the increased risk of disease outbreaks.
Speaking to reporters at UN headquarters in New York on Thursday, UN chief Antonio Guterres, told reporters that the situation is “deeply concerning”.
“We are at the pivotal moment and it’s time to rally together for peace”, he said.
“Sussuring thousands of people’s homes have been forced out, and thousands have been killed.” Additionally, other armed groups, whether domestic or foreign, continue to threaten us. There is a significant human toll caused by everything.
In response to reports of potential war crimes committed during the Battle for Goma, international criminal court prosecutors have also stated that they were closely monitoring events.
President of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, stated on Wednesday that he and European Council head Antonio Costa had discussed the situation in eastern DRC and that they “agreed on the necessity of effective de-escalation and a resolution to the conflict that… guarantees lasting peace.”
He and his DRC counterpart, Tshisekedi, are due to attend a summit of the eight-country East African Community and 16-member Southern African Development Community in the Tanzanian city of Dar-es-Salaam on Saturday.
Source: Aljazeera
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