M23 rebels push further east attacking another town ignoring calls for ceasefire

Rwanda-backed M23 rebels pushed further into eastern Congo on Wednesday, advancing into the outskirts of Walikale just one day after the presidents of Congo and Rwanda called for an immediate ceasefire.

Residents reported hearing gunfire near Walikale's Nyabangi neighborhood. Some locals described the sounds of conflict, while an anonymous military source confirmed that the rebels were engaged in combat with both Congolese soldiers and pro-government militias after launching a surprise attack on an army position just outside the town.

Walikale, a town with a population of around 15,000 and located in a mineral-rich region, marks the furthest westward point the M23 rebels have reached during their rapid offensive this year.

Situated about 125 km (80 miles) northwest of Goma, Congo's largest eastern city, which fell to the rebels in January, Walikale places the M23 fighters within 400 km of Kisangani, the country’s fourth-largest city.

The attack took place even as the presidents of Congo and neighboring Rwanda met Tuesday in Qatar for their first direct talks calling for an immediate ceasefire in the restive region.

M23 is one of about 100 armed groups that have been vying for a foothold in mineral-rich eastern Congo near the border with Rwanda, in a conflict that has created one of the world’s most significant humanitarian crises. More than 7 million people have been displaced.

According to U.N. experts, the rebels are supported by about 4,000 troops from neighboring Rwanda and have at times vowed to march as far as Congo’s capital, Kinshasa, about 1,600 kilometers (1,000 miles) to the east.

The U.N. Human Rights Council last month launched a commission to investigate atrocities, including allegations of rape and killing akin to “summary executions” by both sides.