A truce to halt violence in eastern Congo is extended as calls grow for the displaced to return home

GOMA, Congo (AP) — The United States late Wednesday announced the extension of a humanitarian truce that had reduced fighting in eastern Congo even as violence and human rights abuses continue there, leading to calls for an end to the conflict to allow displaced people to return home.

The latest truce in the decades-long conflict that was to end on Friday has been extended by 15 days until August 3, the U.S. State Department said in a statement that urged all actors “to respect the truce” that had been violated since it took effect on July 5.

The violence concentrated in the eastern North Kivu province has resulted not just in arbitrary killings and arrests but also in sexual abuses with women and children affected the most, according to Carine Kaneza Nantulya of the Human Rights Watch, who spoke at a briefing on Wednesday about the situation in Congo.

“The violence being committed against women and girls is not only in the areas of war but also when they go and try to find water or food outside of camps,” said Nantulya.

The decades-long conflict in eastern Congo has produced one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, with over 100 armed groups fighting for control of the mineral-rich area near the border with Rwanda. A key actor in the conflict — the M23 group — is allegedly backed by Rwanda.

Along with other groups, the rebels are accused of carrying out mass killings in the conflict that has spread from the front lines to surrounding villages, and displaced at least 7 million people, many beyond the reach of aid. Aid groups have complained of insufficient resources even for those within their reach.

In recent months, people fleeing violence have also had to dodge heavy artillery and drone strikes.

The situation in the region is “degrading quickly (and) has reached unseen levels,” Sophia Gerdes, a coordinator for the Action Against Hunger aid group in North Kivu, said at Wednesday's briefing.

“What we need is to create conditions for people to be able to go back home; civilians need to be protected, demilitarization needs to happen and access needs to be guaranteed in all areas,” Gerdes added.