Friday 25 October 2013

Rebels and Congo army clash

ROUGH CUT (NO REPORTER NARRATION)

STORY: Congo's M23 rebels clashed with government troops for the first time in nearly two months on Friday , and neighboring Rwanda said Congolese army shells had landed on its territory.

The clash came days after peace talks broke down in the Ugandan capital Kampala.

General Sultani Makenga, M23's military commander, said the rebels came under attack at 4 a.m. local time on Friday at Kanyamohoro, around 15 km (10 miles) north of Goma, the largest city in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

Congolese army General Lucien Bahuma said M23 fighters had attacked first and fighting was continuing.

The Rwandan army said via Twitter the Congolese army had fired three shells and small arms into Rubavu district, just over the border from Goma and close to the Rwandan city of Gisenyi.

In late August, Rwanda accused Congolese troops of shelling its territory and the tensions between the two neighbors raised fears of a regional