DR Congo troops battle M23 rebels in deadly clashes

The Congolese army on Tuesday battled M23 rebels in the country's volatile east, a day after at least 130 people were killed in the deadliest clashes in months. Army spokesman Colonel Olivier Hamuli said the Democratic Republic of Congo's forces were gaining ground in the battle close to the flashpoint city of Goma, as they sought to "wipe out M23", a movement launched in April last year by Tutsi defectors from the army. The Congolese ambassador to the United Nations meanwhile renewed accusations that neighbouring Rwanda is helping the rebels, saying "specialised units coming from Rwanda" were supporting M23 fighters outside Goma, the capital of North Kivu province.The United Nations has warned its troops in Goma -- which include an offensive brigade that has begun to deploy in the region -- to be on high alert and ready to intervene in case of attack. Goma, which was occupied by the M23 for 10 days late last year before the rebels withdrew under international pressure, lies in a region rich in minerals including gold and coltan, a key component in cell phones and other electronic equipment. The commander of M23 operations in the area, Colonel Youssouf Boneza, told AFP by telephone that "M23 is holding its positions in spite of heavy shelling". An AFP photographer in Kanyarucinya, a town 15 kilometres (nine miles) from Goma, reported a heavy army presence, but no clashes. However, he heard two rocket explosions to the north.Both the army spokesman and residents in the region reported a lull in fighting and heavy weapons fire by late Tuesday afternoon. Each side has accused the other of restarting the fighting on Sunday, and the government has revived an allegation that the M23 is getting support from Rwanda. DR Congo's UN ambassador, Ignace Gatamavita, accused Rwandan troops of helping the M23 launch "bloody battles" against the Congolese army, the FARDC. "The M23 rebels and their Rwandan allies attacked, in the early hours of Sunday morning, the positions of the FARDC who had to defend themselves to push back the enemy," Gatamavita said.He called it an "act of provocation" that breached a peace deal signed by several African countries, including Rwanda, in February in a bid to end the DR Congo conflict. Rwandan diplomats made no immediate comment on the letter, but the country strongly rejects all charges of supporting the M23. UN experts have also accused both Rwanda and Uganda of backing the M23. The Congolese government said Monday the army had killed 120 M23 fighters and captured 12, losing just 10 troops. Casualty figures could not be independently verified. The army was keeping journalists away from the battle zone and the M23 has so far issued no toll. In March, the UN Security Council decided to boost the UN peacekeeping mission in DR Congo (MONUSCO) with an offensive brigade of 3,000 men who were given an unprecedented mandate to neutralise and disarm rebel groups in the east. MONUSCO "has put its troops on high alert and stands ready to take any necessary measures, including the use of lethal force, to protect civilians," UN spokesman Martin Nesirky announced in New York."The mission says that any attempt by the M23 to advance toward Goma will be considered a direct threat to civilians," he said, adding that the rebels had reinforced their positions around the city with heavy artillery and an armoured car. About two-thirds of the new force, which comprises troops from Malawi, South Africa and Tanzania, have arrived. It is expected to be active within the next few weeks. Late Monday, Rwanda's army spokesman, General Joseph Nzabamwita, accused the Congolese army and UN forces of shelling two Rwandan border villages in what he called "a provocative and deliberate act". Neither the Congolese army nor the UN mission were available to comment on the allegation.