About 60 kilometers from Bukavu, the provincial capital of South Kivu, there had been fierce fighting before the calm.
Fearing that the fighting would lead to a wider conflict, regional countries called for a ceasefire, and the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has seemed tranquil for the second day.
After schools in the provincial capital Bukavu closed on Friday due to citizens fleeing and shops closing due to worries of an impending onslaught by M23 fighters, a correspondent from the AFP news agency observed on Monday that students were returning to class.
After fierce fighting on Saturday, almost 60 kilometers from Bukavu, the provincial capital of South Kivu, the front line remained quiet at noon on Monday, according to local and security sources.
After seizing Goma, the seat of the neighboring North Kivu province that borders Rwanda, late last month, the M23 rebels, who say they are protecting ethnic Tutsis, started to advance in South Kivu.
At a summit on Saturday, leaders from East and Southern Africa demanded a “immediate and unconditional” ceasefire within five days, out of concern that the fighting may spread to nearby nations.
Paul Kagame of Rwanda and Felix Tshisekedi of the Congo participated in the discussions, with Tshisekedi participating by video link.
Although the regional leaders’ final summit declaration did not specifically mention Rwanda or its role in the crisis, the European Union applauded their announcement.
According to a spokesman for the foreign ministry, Germany is still “deeply concerned about a possible advance of the M23 militia and Rwanda troops” into Bukavu.
Sebastian Fischer told reporters that Germany was “not seeing any signs that the ceasefire is being observed at the moment” and that “this threatens further heavy fighting and indescribable suffering for the people in the region”.
Strengthening
Following the deaths of 14 of its soldiers last month, South Africa has recently transferred more troops and military hardware to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, according to diplomatic and political sources.
Transport planes were flying from South Africa to Lubumbashi, in the southern Democratic Republic of the Congo, according to flight data examined by the Reuters news agency. Last week, military planes landed there, according to an airport employee.
“We have learned that the South African National Defense Force is increasing its soldier strength in the Lubumbashi region. According to what we’ve been told, between 700 and 800 soldiers were airlifted to Lubumbashi”, South African politician Chris Hattingh texted Reuters
It is “difficult to figure out what is exactly unfolding” because parliament’s defense committee has not been briefed, according to Hattingh, the defense spokeswoman for the Democratic Alliance, a party in power.
As part of a UN peacekeeping mission and a Southern African regional force assigned to support Congo’s army in its fight against the M23 insurgents, South Africa is thought to have about 3,000 troops stationed in the country.
