Congo accuses rebel group of ‘ethnic cleansing’ in country’s east

Associated Press

KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — Congo’s government has accused the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group of “ethnic cleansing” in the central African nation’s east. The minister of the interior, Jacquemain Shabani, on Tuesday denounced the “massive arrival of foreign populations” in the territories of Rutshuru and Masisi in the North Kivu province. Shabani says locals were “expelled by violence,” and that this “constitutes ethnic cleansing.” More than 100 armed groups have been vying for a foothold in mineral-rich eastern Congo near the border with Rwanda. The violence has escalated as the M23 rebel group has reemerged. The conflict has created one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises, with more than 7 million people displaced, many beyond the reach of aid.