Eight peace keepers under United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) were on Saturday reported injured as fighting between government forces and coalition and the March 23 Movement (M23) soldiers resumed in Sake and surrounding areas, Masisi territory, North Kivu province, following weeks of lull.
The fighting occurred in the morning hours on several fronts in Vunamo hill, Bwambaliro, Lutoboko,Kituva and Munanira hill.
In the afternoon hours, M23 political spokesperson, Lawrence Kanyuka released a statement claiming that M23 fighters thwarted the assault that was launched by Armed forces of Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) soldiers’ militia coalition and troops under Southern African Development Community (SADC).
He claimed that the assault was thwarted in Sake, Macafe, Mitumbara, Lushoga and Kagundu. But, in the evening hours, Lieutenant Colonel Ndjike Kaiko Guillaume, spokesperson of the army in North Kivu province released a statement confirming that seven MONUSCO troops were injured during the fight.
In a statement Kaiko explains that among the injured troops, six are Guatemalan nationals one and Indian national. He accused M23 rebels of shooting as they target MONUSCO positions in Sake during gun fire exchange with FARDC soldiers.
“Eight peacekeeping peacekeepers (MONUSCO) including 6 Guatemalans and 1 Indian seriously injured as the result of the Rwandan army shooting which targeted the MONUSCO position in SAKE during the clashes between the FARDC and the M23 /RDF this March 16, 2024”, says Kaiko in a statement.
Bintou Keita, the head of MONUSCO also released a statement saying that one of the troops is seriously injured. In a statement, Keita condemned the attack with greatest firmness.
M23 rebels are yet to comment about the accusations. But an M23 fighter told our reporter on condition of anonymity that MONUSCO troops were fighting alongside FARDC soldiers and militia coalition. M23 went on collision course with MONUSCO in the recent months after the rebels accused the UN force of transmitting information using surveillance drones from positions under M23 conquest to the government.
In March 2022, M23 led by Bertrand Bisimwa and General Sultan Makenga launched a war against the government. The DR Congo government accuses Rwanda of backing M23, but Rwanda and M23 strongly deny it. The rebels claim to fight against bad leadership in DR Congo based on corruption, xenophobia, and discrimination.
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