UN mission in DR Congo: Fighting alongside army against M23 rebels

The UN mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) on Wednesday sent helicopters on bombing missions against the M23 rebels in the Central African country's troubled eastern province of North Kivu. A spokesman of the UN mission MONUSCO said its helicopters opened fire at the positions of the rebel group early in the morning, 15 km north of the provincial capital Goma. The shelling by both aircraft and artillery was part of support for the government forces FARDC in attacks on the ground against the rebels. An African intervention brigade under MONUSCO had previously engaged in the fighting after the rebels caused civilian casualties in Goma. On Monday, the M23 condemned bombardments by FARDC and the UN mission, vowing "to retaliate against the attacks very soon." For the past week, Goma has again hit headlines with the rebel forces reportedly approaching the town from nearby hills. The rebel group briefly occupied Goma in late November last year, before pulling out under the pressure of the 11-member bloc of the Great Lakes countries for talks. The worsening situation around Goma, which is near the border with Rwanda, is stoking tensions between the two neighboring countries, which like always since the 1990s accuse each other of involvement in attacks. The flare, if not contained, could once again pose a serious threat to the stability of the Great Lakes region, where a mini world war sucked in several countries between the late 1990s and the early 2000s. Since Aug. 21, the M23 and FARDC being supported by the United Nations intervention brigade have been fighting 15 km from the town of Goma, leaving 15 civilians dead and several others injured. The casualties were reportedly caused by explosives thrown into the town. The M23 is a group of former rebels of the National Congress for the Defense of the People (CNDP), which was routed out in early 2009. Some CNDP fighters were then integrated into the army, before launching a new rebellion in April 2012, citing the failure of the government to implement the peace accord signed on March 23, 2009 between the two sides.