2008 Nord-Kivu campaign
 | This article documents a current event. Information may change rapidly as the event progresses, and initial news reports may be unreliable. The latest updates to this article may not reflect the most current information. (October 2009) |
| Battle of Goma | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Kivu conflict | |||||||
 The Kivu region | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| CNDP rebels |
 Democratic Republic of the Congo United Nations MONUC forces | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Laurent Nkunda |
Army elements of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Lieutenant General Babacar Gaye | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 6,000–8,000[1] |
20,000 (government) 17,000 (United Nations)[2] | ||||||
The Battle of Goma is a 2008 armed conflict in and around the city of Goma in the Democratic Republic of the Congo between the Democratic Republic of Congo's army and Tutsi rebels under General Laurent Nkunda, with United Nations troops supporting the Congolese army.
The fighting, which started on October 23, has uprooted an additional 200,000 civilians, bringing the total of people displaced by the Kivu conflict to 4 million,[3] causing civil unrest[4] and large food shortages.[3]
Background
Nkunda's rebels had been active since 2004, where they occupied Bukavu and reportedly committed war crimes.[5] Fighting continued, with clashes between Congolese forces and Nkunda's rebels common until a peace deal was brokered in 2008; however, fighting did not stop.[6]
Details
On October 26 Nkunda's rebels seized a major military camp, along with Virunga National Park for use as a base to launch attacks from. This occured after a peace treaty failed, with the resultant fighting displacing thousands.[7] The park was taken due to its strategic location on a main road leading to the city of Goma.
On October 27 riots began around the United Nations compound in Goma, and civilians pelted the building with rocks and threw Molotov cocktails, claiming that the UN forces had done nothing to prevent the rebel advance.[4] The Congolese national army also retreated under pressure from the rebel army in a "major retreat".[4]
Meanwhile, United Nations gunships and armoured vehicles were used in an effort to halt the advance of the rebels, who claim to be within 7 miles (11 kilometers) of Goma.[2] Head of MONUC Alan Goss explained the necessity of engaging the rebels, stating that "...[the UN] can't allow population centers to be threatened... [the UN] had to engage."[8]
Reactions
The World Food Program stated that due to the displacement of approximately 200,000 in the region since August, malnourishment has risen and there have been some cases of death due to starvation. According to a spokesman the agency is short 33,000 tons of food if they are to last to March 2009, and will need US$46 million in donations to obtain it.[3]
The United States Department of State pushed for cooperation between Congo and the neighbouring countries of Rwanda and Uganda, stating that they "need to work together" to rein in "militia groups and other negative forces." Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Jendayi Frazer is scheduled to visit the region and urge talks.[2]
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon asked all involved parties "to make every effort to restore calm among the affected populations",[2] due to concerns that the clash may spark wide-spread conflict.[9]
References
- ^ "Congo rebels call for peace talks". BBC News. 2007-12-13. Retrieved 2008-10-28.
- ^ a b c d "U.N. gunships battle rebels in east Congo". CNN. 2008-10-28. Retrieved 2008-10-28.
- ^ a b c "U.N. says recent Congo fighting uproots 200,000". CNN. 2008-10-27. Retrieved 2008-10-28.
- ^ a b c "Protesters attack U.N. HQ in eastern Congo". CNN. 2008-10-24. Retrieved 2008-10-28.
- ^ Walsh, Declan (2004-06-03). "Rebel troops capture Bukavu and threaten third Congo war". The Independent. Retrieved 2008-10-28.
{{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "After Two Key Deals, What Progress Towards Peace in North Kivu?". AllAfrica.com. 2008-05-14. Retrieved 2008-10-28.
- ^ "Thousands flee fighting as Congo rebels seize gorilla park". CNN. 2008-10-26. Retrieved 2008-10-28.
- ^ "UN joins battle with Congo rebels". BBC. 2008-10-27. Retrieved 2008-10-28.
- ^ "UN peacekeepers battle rebels in eastern Congo". Earthtimes. 2008-10-28. Retrieved 2008-10-28.