Militants Violating Congo Cease-Fire Deal, Regional Bloc Says
- Attacks are having dire consequences for civilians: SADC head
- SADC peacekeeping mission mandate is due to expire on Dec. 15
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Militants operating in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo are violating the terms of a peace accord that was signed in late July and the civilian population is suffering as a result, the head of a regional trading bloc said.
“Armed groups continue to carry out sporadic attacks on the armed forces of the DRC and civilians, leading to dire humanitarian conditions,” Elias Magosi, the executive secretary of the 16-nation Southern African Development Community, told a meeting of regional heads of state in Harare, Zimbabwe’s capital, on Thursday. “We are gravely concerned about the reported violations of the cease-fire by some parties to the agreement, which must be condemned in the strongest of terms.”