Unidentified illnesses in northwestern Congo have killed more than 50 people over the past five weeks, nearly half of them within hours after they felt sick

Rebels Call for Peace, Direct Talks with Govt in Kinshasa | Firstpost Africa | N18G The Rwanda-backed M23 rebels have once again expressed a desire to peacefully resolve the crisis in Eastern DR Congo.

Unidentified illnesses in northwestern Congo have killed more than 50 people over the past five weeks, nearly half of them within hours after they felt sick.

International sanctions against Rwanda will reduce the incentive for Kinshasa to engage in peace talks with M23 rebels who have made lightning advances in eastern Congo this year, a proscribed Rwandan minister has said.

The Congolese AFC/M23 group has warned the Kinshasa regime and its coalition forces of continued attacks on civilian populations, which they said greatly undermines the ongoing ceasefire to which parties committed.

Around 700,000 people were forced to leave Goma, one of the biggest cities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) when it fell in January to rebels, known as M23. With the conflict spreading, many of them are on the move again but a return home is no guarantee of safety.

The latest disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo began on Jan. 21, and 419 cases have been recorded including 53 deaths.

At least 11 people have been killed in explosions at a rally being held on Thursday by M23 rebel group leaders in the captured city of Bukavu, eastern Congo. “The attack caused 11 deaths and

The Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC), which include the M23 rebel group, has announced the appointment of a new governor for South Kivu province in eastern DR Congo, just over two weeks after its fighters took control of the provincial capital Bukavu.

More than 7,000 people have died this year as Rwanda-backed M23 rebels have captured unprecedented amounts of territory in mineral-rich eastern Congo

The latest disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo began on Jan. 21, with 419 cases recorded and 53 deaths. The outbreak began in the village of Boloko after three children ate a bat and died within 48 hours, the Africa office of the World Health Organization said Monday.