Troops, M23 rebels clash in eastern DRC as East Africa bloc announces peace talks

Congolese troops and M23 rebels traded heavy fire in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on Monday (14 November), just as East African leaders a day earlier announced peace talks in a bid to stabilize the conflict-torn region.
Government forces and the M23 militia were fighting in Kibumba, about 20 km north of the strategic city of Goma in the North Kivu province, according to military sources and local inhabitants. M23 fighters were also reportedly seen about 40 km to the northwest of the city in the Virunga National Park, a wildlife haven famed for its mountain gorillas, but which is also a bolt hole for armed groups. A mostly Congolese Tutsi group, whose name refers to the March 23 Movement, leapt to prominence in 2012 when it briefly captured Goma before being driven out. After lying dormant for years, the rebels took up arms again late last year, claiming the DRC had failed to honor a pledge to integrate them into the army, among other grievances.
This development comes a day after the seven-nation East African Community (EAC) on Sunday (13 November) announced peace talks in a bid to stabilize the eastern DRC. In a joint statement, the East African leaders said they would hold a “peace dialogue” on eastern DRC on 21 November in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi. M23 rebels have recently surged across the DRC’s North Kivu province, winning a string of victories against the army and capturing swaths of territory. The latest violence comes one day after Kenyan troops were deployed to eastern DRC, as part of a peacekeeping operation from the EAC bloc. The M23’s resurgence has prompted a crisis in relations between the DRC and its smaller neighbor Rwanda, which Kinshasa accuses of backing the militia.