Panicked government troops in full retreat have been looting and may also have abused civilians in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the United Nations said Tuesday. "Since last evening, during a withdrawal from the Kanyabayonga area (175 kilometres north of the North Kivu provincial capital Goma) the soldiers have been looting," Lieutenant-Colonel Jean-Paul Dietrich, military spokesman for the UN peacekeeping mission in the DR Congo, told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa. "They have been stealing cars and bicycles and taking food," he added. "There are also reports they have violated people." Civilians have been caught in the middle of heavy clashes between the Congolese army and rebel forces led by Tutsi general Laurent Nkunda since the rebels began a major offensive over two weeks ago. The rebels routed the Congolese government forces, which were accused of killing civilians and looting when they retreated to Goma, the capital of North Kivu province. Tens of thousands of civilians have fled the fighting, which has continued despite Nkunda calling a ceasefire as his troops were on the verge of taking Goma. Nkunda says his men are sticking to the ceasefire and are only defending themselves from attacks by Hutu militia and government troops.
