The UnitedNations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC) is demanding rebelsloyal to renegade army general Laurent Nkunda to relinquish an army base itseized yesterday (Sunday). Nkunda's National Congress for the defense of People(CNDP) rebel group reportedly seized an east Congo army base and the headquarters of a refuge housing someof the world's last mountain gorillas, in heavyfighting that left unknown number of soldiers, rebels and civilians killed inthe renewed fighting in the restive North Kivu province.
Therebel attack marked the second time rebels have seized the Congolese nationalArmy Rumangabo base since Aug. 28, when renegade army general Laurent Nkunda went on the offensive charging thatgovernment troops had broken a January cease-fire agreement.
Michel Bonnardeaux is thespokesman for MONUC. He tells reporter Peter Clottey from the Congolesecapital, Kinshasa that the rebels also attacked a United Nations convoy afterseizing the Congolese army base.
"Indeed yesterday (Sunday)in the early hours of the morning the CNDP that is the rebel group led bygeneral Laurent Nkunda attacked a military camp called Rumangabo, which is 50kilometers north of Goma, the provincial capital and not very far from Rwanda.Now, they took over the camp about 10 days ago and had withdrawn once the UNhad pressured them to do so because it is outside their zone of influence andoutside of what we call the separation zone between the two forces. So that iswhat happened yesterday," Bonnardeaux pointed out.
He said the United Nationsmission in the DRC is demanding the rebels return the seized army base to thegovernment.
"Once again we've asked themto leave the premises and return it to the national army and the national armywas also occupying another village called Tongo and they also withdrew fromthat village after UN pressure and it was later taken over by the CNDP rebels.So, pressure is ongoing," he said.
Bonnardeaux said expressedits displeasure to the rebel command after they attacked a United Nationsconvoy.
"The new thing today is thatthe CNDP rebels shot at two APC those are armor personal carriers of the UN asthe UN was trying to maintain security along the major roads between Goma andRuturu," Bonnardeaux noted.
He said although the UnitedNations is trying to maintain peace in the restive north Kivu, it would nottolerate any rebel attacks on its forces adding that the UN would soon demandboth opposing parties abide by the already signed agreement.
"Thatmoment is certainly coming. The UN has a lot of patience, but certainly when weget shot at it becomes very worrisome and we've made it very clear to therebels that we would not fathom this kind of behavior," he pointed out.
Bonnardeaux said the UnitedNations Mission in the DRC is providing a safe zone for civilians in therestive north Kivu region to move about to more safe areas.
"That is the principalreason why we were maintaining security around the major passages in order forpeople who wish to flee and people who are fleeing from the combat zone forthem to do it safely. Now, the MONUC position continues to be the implementationof the peace process that was negotiated back in January, and this attack todayis really a set back and it does not help the situation at all. It also doesn'thelp the CNDP in what they are complaining, which is a concerted attack by thenational army on the Hutu rebels that are still roaming around the hills ofeastern Congo and threatening certain ethnic groups in that area," Bonnardeauxsaid.
He said it would a badstrategic move if the rebel attack forms part of Nkunda's plan to take over thecountry.
"Well, if that is what hewas trying to do then it's the wrong way because that is eastbound attackswhereas Kinshasa would be the other about 2000 kilometers. So, no, I don'tthink that is a major offensive on the country. as you know the country is absolutelyvery huge, which is over two million kilometers," he noted.