BURUNDI WARNS THAT FIGHTING IN THE DRC COULD TRIGGER A REGIONAL WAR.
The offensive is the latest devastating blow to a region where an estimated six million people have died over three decades due to conflict.
Burundi's president has warned that the escalating conflict in eastern DR Congo could spark a regional war. The Rwanda-backed M23 group has taken control of Goma, the main city in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, and is advancing southward.
The offensive is the latest devastating blow to a region where an estimated six million people have died over three decades due to conflict.
"If eastern Congo does not have peace, the region has no peace," President Evariste Ndayishimiye warned in remarks posted on social media Saturday.
"If it continues like this, war risks becoming widespread in the region," he said, adding: "If Rwanda continues to make conquests… I know that war will even arrive in Burundi."
His remarks came as the M23 pushed south, towards the city of Kavumu in South Kivu. The city has a strategic military airfield and is where the Congolese army has established its defensive line just 40 kilometers (25 miles) north of the South Kivu capital Bukavu.
Burundi has deployed troops in the east of the DR Congo as part of the East African Community force supporting the Congolese military.
All but the Burundian contingents of the force were later accused by the DRC and locals of collaborating with forces opposed to Kinshasa.
These developments highlight the fragile state of the region and the potential for conflict to spill over into neighboring countries. The international community will be closely monitoring the situation, hoping for a resolution that can bring lasting peace to the area.
Comments
Post a Comment