23/08/13 VOA: Fighting Resumes Outside Goma in DRC

These are the first major hostilities between the government army and M23 since
the army bombed the rebels’ headquarters last month. Between July 15 and 19,
the army succeeded in driving the rebels back four or five kilometers from Goma
– a key city on the border with Rwanda.
Many civilians in Goma reacted angrily when this apparently successful
offensive was called off and a fragile truce was reinstated.

An army spokesman, Colonel Olivier Hamuli, said the rebels started the fighting
Wednesday evening and attacked again early Thursday morning, but without
success.

He said the army had the upper hand and was fighting with artillery and small
arms but has not deployed helicopters.

He denied reports from the M23 that bombs are landing in civilian-occupied
areas at Kayanja, in the rebel-held zone.

Hamuli said that there were no civilians in the zone, just soldiers, so there
wouldn’t be any collateral damage.

An M23 spokesman, Kabasha Amani, accused the government of provoking the
hostilities before Wednesday evening.

He said rebels saw the government was massing troops near M23 positions and
making small incursions even before fighting intensified Wednesday.

A civilian living near the combat zone, Dr. Isaac Warwanamiza, said the army
appeared to be making some progress.

He said the army has advanced toward the M23 positions and the front line has
moved as far as the Kibati mosque, nearly a kilometer north of where it was
earlier on Wednesday.

Rebel spokesman Kabasha conceded government forces have been moving forward.

He said he thought the army would continue to bombard the rebels and then
advance through Thursday, but he vowed M23's fighters would hold their ground.

Kabasha called on DRC President Joseph Kabila to return to peace talks at Kampala, which have
proceeded in fits and starts since last December.

Congolese media report that the new head of the UN mission in Congo has said
he wants the mission to be closer to local people in areas plagued by armed
groups.

That could mean the mission will give more direct backing to the government
against the M23, who appear to have little popular support.