Rwandan authorities have received more than 1,000 Congolese refugees from South Kivu province where fighting between the AFC/M23 rebels and the Congolese government coalition has been raging for days. The rebels earlier accused the Congolese government coalition of launching “deadly attacks” against civilians and all of its frontlines in the province. ALSO READ: AFC/M23: Kinshasa, allies bombarding civilians days after signing Doha peace pact Heavy fighting has been ongoing in a South Kivu locality called Kamaniola, near the Rwandan border, since December 2, with the rebels saying airstrikes are launched from Burundi, whose military is part of the Congolese coalition. Burundian forces, now estimated at six to seven battalions in South Kivu alone, have been linked to a worsening humanitarian crisis in eastern DR Congo, particularly affecting the Banyamulenge community in Minembwe highlands. ALSO READ: President Ndayishimiye on the spot over Burundian army mandate in DR Congo Sporadic artillery shells could still be heard on Saturday morning as Rwandan authorities received new refugees at Bugarama-Kamaniola border post. ALSO READ: AFC/M23 leader Corneille Nangaa states four reasons why his movement is fighting Tshisekedi govt At least 115 refugees were received by midday on Saturday, bringing the total recovered by this week to 1,069, according to the Ministry of Emergency Management. Solange Bagalwa, one of the Congolese who crossed the Bugarama border post with her four children, said her hometown of Kamaniola had seen a lot fighting in recent days, with bombshells flying over the neighbourhood. “We fled to Rwanda because back home there is a very bad situation,” the 27-year-old told The New Times. “We had been sheltering in our houses and then bombs started falling on the houses. Some people were killed and others injured. Then, we fled into the forest before arriving at the border this morning.” Bagalwa’s testimony was echoed by Noella Riziki, who arrived at Bugarama with 12 children. “All we want is peace and humanitarian support. We want the bombs and the fighting to stop so that we can return home,” said the 45-year-old. “We arrived here this morning, but we had spent the night in the forest. There was a lot of fighting. The local church was hit by a bomb. The day before yesterday my neighbour’s house was hit and children were injured. Another neighbour was killed, and she was pregnant. “Now that we are in Rwanda, all we need is to be safe with our children and get something to eat. God willing, we will return home when peace has returned.” The refugees are temporarily hosted at Nyarushishi Transit Camp in Rusizi District. The fighting between the Congolese government coalition and the AFC/M23 rebels has continued despite months peace talks and ceasefire agreements signed in Doha, Qatar. At least 23 civilians had been killed by Friday, according to the rebels. “These bombings have forced many civilians to flee toward Bukavu and Rwanda, and that these actions by the Burundian army constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity,” AFC/M23 spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka said in a statement on Friday. Kanyuka said the AFC/M23 “stands shoulder to shoulder with the civilian population and firmly condemns Burundi's involvement in a conflict that is purely Congolese.”
