Rebels in DR Congo declear unilateral cease-fire

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Source: CCTV.com | 10-30-2008 09:47

Tutsi rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo have declared a unilateral cease-fire, stopping just short of entering the strategic city of Goma.

Tutsi rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo have declared a unilateral cease-fire, stopping just short of entering the strategic city of Goma.(CCTV.com)

The rebel leader is calling on government troops to follow suit.

The rebels are poised to enter Goma, but declared a cease-fire Wednesday to prevent panic in the city. The army and residents are pouring out of the provincial capital of Congo's eastern province of North Kivu.

After days of heavy fighting against government forces, the rebels overran a military base on Sunday.

UN officials confirm that Goma is generally in a state of panic and the rebels were not in the city.

The fighting has driven 30-thousand people into refugee camps near Goma.

Earlier on Wednesday, the army said Rwandan troops crossed the nearby border and attacked its soldiers. The incident raised tensions that could widen the conflict to include neighboring countries.

Rwanda denies its troops had attacked, but Congo turned to Angola for help "defending territorial integrity".

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says he has been speaking to the presidents of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda to resolve the crisis.

He says Europe and the US planned to send diplomats to both countries to try to negotiate a peaceful solution.

Editor:Zhang Pengfei