DR Congo: UN peacekeepers deployed to east after rebel attacks

20 August 2008 – United Nations peacekeepers and soldiers from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have been jointly deployed in the eastern provinces of Ituri and Orientale to protect civilians after attacks by the rebel group known as the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). A spokesman for the UN Mission in Congo , Michel Bonnardeaux, told a press briefing today that the Ugandan rebel group had attacked and robbed villages around Duru over the past week. He said the Ituri Patriotic Front had also launched sporadic attacks in the Irumu area, and remained a serious threat. MONUC went on to report further unrest in eastern DRC, including continued regrouping and recruitment by the Mayi-Mayi in North Kivu. Meanwhile, the head of MONUC in Goma, Alpha Sow, has welcomed a decision by the Congolese armed forces to set up... [read full story]