UNITED NATIONS -- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday expressed deep concern over the latest round of hostilities initiated by the M23 rebel group in North Kivu province of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Ban underlined the importance of "pursuing a political solution to address the root causes of conflict in the DRC," and urged all parties to "exercise utmost restraint and prevent an escalation of the conflict and a deeper humanitarian crisis."
Fighting continued between the government forces and M23 rebels since breaking out on Sunday around the town of Kanyaruchinya, about 15 km from Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, leaving over one hundred people dead.
The Thursday statement also noted that the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in DRC (MONUSCO) has not been involved in the hostilities.
"The Mission remains on high alert and is prepared to intervene, including through the Force Intervention Brigade, should the fighting threaten civilians, particularly in Goma and in IDP camps in the area," the statement said.
The M23 accused the MONUSCO of being the cause of resumption of hostility in North Kivu province and blamed it for allowing the DR Congo Armed Forces (FARDC) soldiers and the fighters of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) to launch attacks against the M23, hence placing the lives of the displaced in danger.
Tensions in the region have been increasing recently as the M23 publicly decried the deployment of an intervention brigade within MONUSCO and broke off the so-called Kampala peace talks with the DRC government.
The deployment of an intervention brigade within MONUSCO was authorized by the UN Security Council in March to carry out targeted offensive operations, with or without the Congolese national army, against armed groups that threaten peace in the eastern DRC.
