Reports indicate that M23 rebels in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo are taking civilians captive because they are thought to have worked with other militias.
Around 50 persons were initially detained by the insurgents, 18 of whom are still in their custody. These individuals are suspected of working with the Nyatura and the M23-opposing militia.
However, the hostage’s nephew claimed to newsmen that they were “displaced individuals returning to hunt for food” and that they were pleading with the government to intervene so that their “brothers are released.”
Just a few days prior, the militia group made a “goodwill gesture made in the interest of peace” by turning over the strategically important town of Kibumba to a local military unit.
However, on Sunday, the Congolese army called the withdrawal a “sham” and the combat started up again in North Kivu.
Another local informed reporters that his 76-year-old father and other people were detained last week on the basis of their alleged involvement with the Nyatura and the FDLR. According to reports, the individuals were transported to Rutshuru-centre, a region regarded as an M23 stronghold.
Meanwhile, the M23 rebellion announced last Friday that it had agreed to withdraw from Kibumba, one of its strategic positions at the gates of the provincial capital Goma, which it conquered at the end of October, in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
After weeks of fighting with the Congolese army, “the M23 supports regional efforts and agrees to cede its positions in Kibumba to the responsibility of the EACRF (East African Community Regional Force).