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| Rebels 'seize' Congo border town | Rebels 'seize' Congo border town |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| Rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo say they have taken the town of Rutshuru near the Ugandan border. | Rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo say they have taken the town of Rutshuru near the Ugandan border. |
| Fierce fighting is continuing for a third day around Kibumba, to the south. | Fierce fighting is continuing for a third day around Kibumba, to the south. |
| The BBC's Thomas Fessy is just a few kilometres from the frontline and says he can hear loud explosions, while UN helicopter gunships fly overhead. | The BBC's Thomas Fessy is just a few kilometres from the frontline and says he can hear loud explosions, while UN helicopter gunships fly overhead. |
| The 17,000-strong UN force in DR Congo has been accused of not doing enough to halt the rebel advance and its head has appealed for more troops. | The 17,000-strong UN force in DR Congo has been accused of not doing enough to halt the rebel advance and its head has appealed for more troops. |
| The rebels led by renegade General Laurent Nkunda say they want to take the regional capital, Goma, 30km south of Kibumba, where thousands of civilians have fled. | The rebels led by renegade General Laurent Nkunda say they want to take the regional capital, Goma, 30km south of Kibumba, where thousands of civilians have fled. |
| Our reporter says after the seizure of Rutshuru, Gen Nkunda's men now control a long stretch of the road to Goma. | Our reporter says after the seizure of Rutshuru, Gen Nkunda's men now control a long stretch of the road to Goma. |
| href="#infographic">See detailed map of the area | |
| The UN Security Council late on Tuesday called for an immediate ceasefire and issued a statement in which it "strongly condemned the offensive operations" against its peacekeepers. | The UN Security Council late on Tuesday called for an immediate ceasefire and issued a statement in which it "strongly condemned the offensive operations" against its peacekeepers. |
| We simply cannot send teams out into the countryside... it's too dangerous; it's anarchy UNHCR's Ron Redmond Eastern DR Congo's hellIn pictures: Thousands flee fighting | We simply cannot send teams out into the countryside... it's too dangerous; it's anarchy UNHCR's Ron Redmond Eastern DR Congo's hellIn pictures: Thousands flee fighting |
| DR Congo's President Joseph Kabila has appealed for a multi-national force to help restore order. | DR Congo's President Joseph Kabila has appealed for a multi-national force to help restore order. |
| UN forces have been using attack helicopters and tanks to try to stop the rebel advance, but they say the rebels work in small groups, making them difficult to locate and repulse. | UN forces have been using attack helicopters and tanks to try to stop the rebel advance, but they say the rebels work in small groups, making them difficult to locate and repulse. |
| Alan Doss, the head of the UN mission in DR Congo (Monuc), told the BBC his forces were stretched to the limit and needed urgent reinforcements. | Alan Doss, the head of the UN mission in DR Congo (Monuc), told the BBC his forces were stretched to the limit and needed urgent reinforcements. |
| He said his troops would do their utmost to stop major towns in the region from falling to the Tutsi rebels led by Gen Nkunda. | He said his troops would do their utmost to stop major towns in the region from falling to the Tutsi rebels led by Gen Nkunda. |
| "We are going to remain there, and we are going to act against any effort to take over a city or major population centre by force," he said from Kinshasa, the Congolese capital. | "We are going to remain there, and we are going to act against any effort to take over a city or major population centre by force," he said from Kinshasa, the Congolese capital. |
| Monuc has the largest peacekeeping force in the world in DR Congo but has come under criticism from residents in the east of the country for being unable to protect them. | Monuc has the largest peacekeeping force in the world in DR Congo but has come under criticism from residents in the east of the country for being unable to protect them. |
| The head of UN peacekeeping, Alain Le Roy, briefed the Security Council, and said the appeal for more troops had been "heard clearly by all member states". | The head of UN peacekeeping, Alain Le Roy, briefed the Security Council, and said the appeal for more troops had been "heard clearly by all member states". |
| Refugee crisis | Refugee crisis |
| Rutshuru houses tens of thousands of displaced people and dozens of aid workers are usually based there. | Rutshuru houses tens of thousands of displaced people and dozens of aid workers are usually based there. |
| A UN worker said thousands of people were fleeing Rutshuru heading toward the Ugandan border to the north. | A UN worker said thousands of people were fleeing Rutshuru heading toward the Ugandan border to the north. |
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| Thousands flee Congo fighting | Thousands flee Congo fighting |
| An estimated 20,000 people have already fled towards Goma, many of them having left a refugee camp in Kibumba as the fighting approached on Monday. | An estimated 20,000 people have already fled towards Goma, many of them having left a refugee camp in Kibumba as the fighting approached on Monday. |
| About 200,000 people fled their homes after fighting resumed in the area in late August. | About 200,000 people fled their homes after fighting resumed in the area in late August. |
| The United Nations says many refugees are malnourished and some are dying of hunger. | The United Nations says many refugees are malnourished and some are dying of hunger. |
| Ron Redmond of the UN refugee agency says it almost impossible to reach those in need of help. | Ron Redmond of the UN refugee agency says it almost impossible to reach those in need of help. |
| Profile: Laurent Nkunda "We simply cannot send teams out into the countryside. There's too much fighting going on; it's too dangerous; it's anarchy," he said. | Profile: Laurent Nkunda "We simply cannot send teams out into the countryside. There's too much fighting going on; it's too dangerous; it's anarchy," he said. |
| "There are already some 800,000 to a million people internally displaced in this region, so it's really a huge population in need of help." | "There are already some 800,000 to a million people internally displaced in this region, so it's really a huge population in need of help." |
| The Congolese army has accused Rwanda of backing Gen Nkunda, who left the army and launched his own low-level rebellion after DR Congo's civil war ended. Rwanda denies the claims. | The Congolese army has accused Rwanda of backing Gen Nkunda, who left the army and launched his own low-level rebellion after DR Congo's civil war ended. Rwanda denies the claims. |
| Gen Nkunda says he is fighting to protect the minority Tutsi community from the Hutu militia which carried out the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. | Gen Nkunda says he is fighting to protect the minority Tutsi community from the Hutu militia which carried out the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. |
| But Alistair Dutton, Christian Aid humanitarian manager for Africa, told the BBC that the fighting was also for control of resources. | But Alistair Dutton, Christian Aid humanitarian manager for Africa, told the BBC that the fighting was also for control of resources. |
| Eastern DR Congo is rich in gold and other minerals, such as coltan, used in mobile phones. | Eastern DR Congo is rich in gold and other minerals, such as coltan, used in mobile phones. |
| A peace deal was signed in Goma between the government and various rebel groups at the end of January. | A peace deal was signed in Goma between the government and various rebel groups at the end of January. |
| Although he signed the deal, Gen Nkunda - whose main strongholds are in Kichanga in the Masisi Mountains and Bunagana town bordering Uganda - has always refused to disarm while Rwandan Hutu rebels still operate in the area. | Although he signed the deal, Gen Nkunda - whose main strongholds are in Kichanga in the Masisi Mountains and Bunagana town bordering Uganda - has always refused to disarm while Rwandan Hutu rebels still operate in the area. |
| Return to top | Return to top |
| Are you in Democratic Republic of Congo? Are you affected by the issues in this story? Send us your comments and experiences using the form below. | Are you in Democratic Republic of Congo? Are you affected by the issues in this story? Send us your comments and experiences using the form below. |