Top of the Morning: M23 Announces end of Rebellion in DRC

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M23 Announces end of Rebellion in DRC

After nearly two years, the rebellion by the M23 group is over, declared the group on Tuesday. However, the end of fighting in the region is not certain. “The declaration was issued hours after government forces drove the rebels out of their last two redoubts before dawn, following a rapid advance in recent weeks that cornered the insurgents in hills along the border with Uganda and Rwanda. Even so, the real test will be whether the rebels and government both cease their military activities and sit at the negotiating table to thrash out a political deal. With the M23 defeated, attention will turn to some 20 other armed groups operating in Congo’s lawless east.” (Reuters http://yhoo.it/1a4Z2Y6)

10,000 Refugees Flee to Uganda from Fighting in DRC

Humanitarian agencies are struggling to keep up with the sudden influx. “The United Nations says some 10,000 refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo have crossed into Uganda since Sunday, fleeing renewed fighting between the army and the M23 rebels. Many have crossed from Bunagana, the Congolese  town in Rutshuru territory where the M23 had its headquarters. The rebels withdrew from Bunagana last week, as they also withdrew from most of the other towns they were holding, without putting up much of a fight. More fighting flared Monday in the area.” (VOA http://bit.ly/1aYY8gQ)

World Bank and EU Pledge $8.5 Billion for the Sahel

Ban and Kim are in the region for the next few days. “The announcement came on the eve of an historic trip to the Sahel by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and World Bank President Jim Yong Kim. The EU is donating $6.75 billion over seven years. The World Bank is contributing $1.5 billion over two years. The joint visit began Monday in conflict-torn Mali and continues to Niger, Burkina Faso and Chad. On Tuesday, Ban and Kim will attend a regional ministerial meeting in Mali’s capital, Bamako.” (Yahoo! http://yhoo.it/1aZvqw9)