UN Warns Congo Violence Escalating Into Regional Conflict
- More political efforts are needed to resolve crisis: Lacroix
- Influx of foreign forces is ‘recipe for disaster’: Lacroix
A candlelight prayer vigil in remembrance of the victims of the ongoing unrest in the Democratic Republic of Congo on March 7.
Photographer: Simon Maina/AFP/Getty Images
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Escalating violence in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo could turn into a regional conflict without increased political efforts to lower tensions, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, United Nations under-secretary-general for peace operations, said Friday.
UN peacekeepers are struggling to protect civilians in the North Kivu province, Lacroix said, amid an offensive by the M23 rebel group that forced another 100,000 people to flee their homes in the past week. The violence is growing despite the recent arrival of troops from multiple African countries to calm the situation.