AlQa'dah 6, 1433, Sep 22, 2012, SPA -- A new rebellion in Congo's east, known as the M23, is consolidating its power over the territory it conquered over five months and could pose a serious threat to the Congolese government as a U.N. chief says the group has set up a parallel government, according to AP. The rebellion began in April when a group of senior commanders defected from the regular army, following rumors that one of the leaders, Bosco Ntaganda, would be arrested. He is wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes. After just three months of fighting against their former comrades, the group took over a large part of Rutshuru territory at the border with Rwanda and Uganda. It is now consolidating its power in Rutshuru and proceeded to appoint a handful of "administrative heads." U.N. peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous denounced what he called a parallel government by the M23 and said that "the sovereignty of the Democratic Republic of Congo has to be respected." He also warned of the risk of a possible escalation of the conflict in Congo's east and called for a diplomatic solution. "They are already establishing a sort of de facto administration, controlling population, taking 'taxes' from people who pass through, and that of course is hardly acceptable", he told reporters in New York on Tuesday after a trip to Congo. The M23 denies that it is creating a parallel administration to run the territory they have controlled for nearly two months in the North Kivu province and says it is only overseeing that the territory carries on being administrated while they control it. -- SPA
