An M23 official has said the Rwanda-backed group captured hundreds
of Burundian soldiers during its latest offensive in eastern Democratic
Republic of Congo. That's after M23 last week entered
the strategic city of Ovia near the Burundian border.
Patrick Bozoboa Ngui said Burundi should send an official request
for the soldiers' return. There was no immediate response
from Burundi, which has had troops in eastern Congo
for years. M23 entered Uvira less than a week
after the presidents of Congo and Rwanda met with President
Donald Trump and affirmed their commitment to a peace deal
known as the Washington Accords. Continuing clashes have prompted
a warning from the Trump administration. US Secretary of
State Marco Rubio said on Saturday that Rwanda's actions in
eastern Congo violated the Washington Accords. He also vowed
to take action to ensure promises made to the president
are kept. Footage from Sunday meanwhile showed weapons and
military equipment that M23 said had been voluntarily handed over
by the residents of. M23 staged a lightning offensive
in January and quickly seized eastern Congo's two biggest cities
. Thousands of people have been killed and hundreds of
thousands more displaced. The insurgents have since been working
to establish a parallel administration. On Saturday, Bussoubo
Ngui also said the rebels would not hesitate to push
south to the copper and cobalt rich Katanga province.
A local official said on Monday that Congo's military and
allied forces had withdrawn from Makobola, around 7.5 miles
south of Ouvia on Friday. Global charity Medecins Sans
Frontieres said it was suspending activities in Baraka, about
60 miles south of Ovia. That decision, it
said, was in response to escalating violence and threats
posed by the conflict.