Wüstenschiff

At least 26 people have been killed in attacks by a Rwandan militia group in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the Congolese army says. It says several remote villages in South Kivu province have been targeted since the start of January ... He said bands of rebels had attacked settlements and burned homes in Shabunda territory, a heavily forested area of South Kivu, on 2 and 3 January.

Der ehemalige FDLR-Soldat D liefert im Laufe seiner Vernehmung die bisher genaueste historische Schilderung des langen Kampfes der ruandischen Hutu-Exilanten im Kongo - Als er sich beim Vorsitzenden Richter vergewissert hat, dass sein Name nicht in den Zeitungen stehen wird, gibt Zeuge D eine persönliche Erklärung ab. Detailliert wie kein anderes der vielen Mitglieder der im Kongo kämpfenden ruandischen Miliz FDLR (Demokratische Kräfte zur Befreiung Ruandas), die bisher im Oberlandesgericht Stuttgart beim Prozess gegen FDLR-Präsident Ignace Murwanashyaka und seinen Vize Straton Musoni vernommen wurden, schildert D seinen Werdegang und seine Karriere in der Hutu-Truppe. „Jetzt kann ich ausführlich aussagen, wenn mein Name nicht veröffenticht wird“.

Hundreds of Congolese troops have defected from the army, diplomats have told the BBC. They are loyal to ex-rebel leader Bosco Ntaganda, who is wanted for war crimes by the International Criminal Court. The situation in the city of Goma, in the east of the Democractic Republic of Congo, where the soldiers were based, is said to be tense.

Kongos Präsident Kabila hat die Verhaftung des wegen Kriegsverbrechen gesuchten Milizenführers Ntaganda gefordert. Ntaganda müsse jedoch in Kongo vor Gericht kommen - nicht in Den Haag vor den Internationalen Strafgerichtshof.

Troops loyal to Bosco Ntaganda, wanted by the International Criminal Court, have taken two towns in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. A BBC reporter in the area says thousands of people are fleeing the fierce fighting towards nearby Goma. Hundreds of heavily armed soldiers loyal to Gen Ntaganda recently defected from the Congolese army. Known locally as the Terminator, Gen Ntaganda has denied the ICC accusation that he recruited child soldiers [...] Government soldiers were pushed out of the towns of Mushake and Karuba, our correspondent says, and have retreated 12km east to Sake, where they are regrouping for a counter-offensive.

A former DR Congo rebel leader wanted for war crimes by the International Criminal Court on Tuesday denied any involvement in the deadly fighting which has plagued the country's east. "I am not involved in the clashes pitting the FARDC (regular army) against the soldiers who defected," Jean-Bosco Ntaganda told AFP, in reference to army deserters who previously fought in his rebel group.

"The Congolese government has asked me to communicate the following -- everything that is happening currently in Masisi is under the responsibility of General Bosco Ntaganda and he should be sought for that," said Julien Paluku, governor of Nord-Kivu [...] The defectors have also joined forces with the Mai Mai militia which was accused of mass rapes of almost 400 people in the area in 2010. Amnesty International said it has learnt that at least three women were killed on Monday in the town of Ngungu on Monday, but warned that the actual toll "may well be higher." It also said the deserters were trying to recruit child soldiers.

For about a month now, rebel soldiers have been wreaking havoc in North Kivu, a province in the northeast of the Democratic Republic of Congo that had already been ravaged by years of war. Our Observer, a photographer who is currently about 10 kilometres away from the frontline separating the rebel soldiers from the regular army, shares his images of a crisis taking place far away from the eyes of the world.

Regierungstruppen und abtrünnige Soldaten liefern sich heftige Gefechte. Ein Gouverneur hat angekündigt, den Warlord Ntaganda zur Verantwortung zu ziehen.

The army of the Democratic Republic of Congo says it has regained control of the entire eastern area of Masisi from rebels loyal to warlord Bosco "Terminator" Ntaganda. The army has declared a ceasefire and given the rebels until Wednesday to surrender. Tens of thousands have fled their homes in the area, after weeks of fighting.

Army mutineers in eastern Democratic Republic Congo loyal to warlord Bosco Ntaganda, known as "The Terminator", have replaced him as their leader. A statement said the fighters had formed an armed group called M23 to be headed by Col Sultani Makenga, who also recently defected from the army. Analysts say the move could be a way of protecting Gen Ntaganda, who is wanted by the ICC for alleged war crimes.

Die Meuterei wichtiger Teile der kongolesischen Armee im Osten des Landes weitet sich zu einer regelrechten Rebellion aus. In einer am Montag verbreiteten, angeblich am 6. Mai in Rutshuru verfassten Erklärung verkünden die Meuterer, die sich seit Wochen Kämpfe mit regulären Einheiten liefern, die Gründung einer „Bewegung des 23. März“. Sie begründen dies mit dem „Scheitern“ des offiziell am 23. März 2009 vereinbarten Friedensprozesses zwischen Kongos Regierung und der ehemaligen Rebellenbewegung CNDP (Nationalkongress zur Verteidigung des Volkes) des Tutsi-Generals Laurent Nkunda.