U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday condemned the latest violence in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and called on all parties to engage in the political process that seeks to address the causes of the fighting. In a statement issued by his office, Ban said he was "deeply concerned about the escalating violence in the eastern DRC" and particularly by the indiscriminate shelling by the M23 rebel group that caused deaths, injuries, and damage among the civilian population in the eastern provinces as well as the immediate border area in Rwanda. A U.N. peacekeeper also died in one of the attacks on Wednesday. "The secretary-general encourages all parties concerned to pursue a comprehensive political process aimed at addressing the root causes of the conflict," the statement said. Ban called on all regional actors to "exercise utmost restraint and refrain from any acts or statements that could lead to a further deterioration of the situation." He also asked that any country with influence in the region assist in easing tensions.
