Geneva [Switzerland], February 22: United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix warned on Friday that the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) could spiral into a broader regional crisis.
"The potential for regional spillover from the conflict in the DRC is a reality," Lacroix said on social media platform X, referring to the worsening humanitarian situation in the DRC, notably marred by the advances of the March 23 Movement (M23) rebels.
The rebel force has captured numerous cities and townships, including Goma and Bukavu, the capital cities of North Kivu and South Kivu provinces, respectively, while pushing their onslaughts in both provinces.
More than 400,000 Congolese, mainly women and children, have arrived in Burundi since February for international protection, said the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on Friday. In North Kivu, over 500,000 people were forced to flee their homes in January alone.
Those arriving in Burundi are mainly Congolese who were already internally displaced by previous conflicts, now forced to move once again by renewed clashes, said the UNHCR.
The agency added that some are arriving from as far as Goma, hundreds of kilometers to the north, another devastating example of repeated displacement in the East Africa region.
Lacroix called for the cessation of hostilities and a recommitment to diplomatic dialogue in accordance with the regional frameworks, particularly the recommendations made at the first-ever East African Community (EAC)-Southern African Development Community (SADC) joint summit in early February.
Chiefs of defense forces of the EAC and SADC member states are scheduled to convene in Tanzania's port city of Dar es Salaam on Feb. 24 to provide technical directions on resolving the crisis in the eastern DRC, one outcome of the EAC-SADC joint summit.
Source: Xinhua
