Renewed Fighting In Eastern Congo As Neighbours Try To Revive Peace

Rwandan-backed M23 rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo battled militiamen allied with the government on Tuesday as regional countries tried to give fresh impetus to faltering peace initiatives.

M23s swift advance since January has seized eastern Congos two largest cities, resulted in thousands of deaths and forced hundreds of thousands more from their homes.

Southern and East Africa countries have made repeated diplomatic pushes to resolve the conflict amid fears it could spiral into a larger regional war.

The latest setback to those efforts came on Monday when the M23 rebels went back on a pledge to withdraw from the strategic town of Walikale and accused the Congolese army of failing to halt its own offensive operations there.

The rebels and pro-government milita fighters known as Wazalendo battled on Tuesday in North Kivu and South Kivu provinces, residents said.