U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has voiced deep concern at fresh fighting in the violence-wracked North Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and urged all armed groups to get behind efforts to broker a political solution to the current crisis in the region. Fighting broke out two days ago in the Rutshuru area between the National Congress in Defence of the People (known as the CNDP), a militia led by former general Laurent Nkunda, and a mixed group of Coalition of Patriots in the Congolese Resistance (PARECO)/Mayi-Mayi militia. The CNDP has also reportedly attacked Congolese military positions in the Nyanzale area this morning, despite the ceasefire announced by the militia last week. Fighting was also under way in Miyanzali, a town now entirely under rebel control, according to the UN peacekeeping mission in the DRC (known as MONUC). “The Secretary-General calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities and the withdrawal of forces to positions held prior to the resumption of fighting on August 28, " Ban's spokesperson said in a statement, referring to the start of the latest broad wave of violence that has displaced as many as 250, 000 Congolese in the far east of the impoverished country. The statement added that Ban “urges the armed groups involved in the ongoing fighting to support the current efforts to find a political solution to the crisis in the eastern DRC and to avoid activities that result in the further displacement and suffering of the civilian population.”
