A French aid worker for the UN children's agency has been killed in an air strike in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo in a city controlled by the Rwanda-backed M23 militia.
Since taking up arms again in 2021, the M23 has seized swathes of the mineral-rich Congolese east with Rwanda's backing, unleashing a fresh spiral of violence in a region long plagued by fighting.
kAms6DA:E6 #H2?52 2?5 E96 s#r D:8?:?8 2 A6246 562= 2E &$ !C6D:56?E s@?2=5 %CF>AVD FC8:?8 :? 62C=J s646>36C[ :? E96 =2E6DE 2EE6>AE E@ 6?5 E96 4@?7=:4E[ 4=2D96D 36EH66? E96 |ab 2?5 r@?8@=6D6 2C>J 92G6 4@?E:?F65]k^Am
kAmwF>2?:E2C:2? D@FC46D C6A@CE65 E92E D6G6C2= 3F:=5:?8D 925 366? E2C86E65 :? E96 @G6C?:89E DEC:<6D 2?5 D6G6C2= A6@A=6 <:==65] pu! H2D ?@E 23=6 E@ 6DE23=:D9 2 E@== @C E96 @C:8:? @7 E96 DEC:<6D]k^Am
kAm%96 r@?8@=6D6 2C>J[ H9:49 :D DE2E:@?65 D@>6 D6G6C2= 9F?5C65 <:=@>6EC6D 7C@> v@>2[ C68F=2C=J =2F?496D =@?8\C2?86 5C@?6 DEC:<6D @? E96 |abVD A@D:E:@?D :? E96 62DE]Â k^Am
kAmp44@C5:?8 E@ D64FC:EJ D@FC46D[ E96 |ab =:<6H:D6 >2<6D FD6 @7 6IA=@D:G6 5C@?6D 2E E96 7C@?E]Â k^Am
kAm%96 D@F?5 @7 3@>3 3=2DED 2?5 3FKK:?8 5C@?6D C2?8 @FE :? D6G6C2= C6D:56?E:2= ?6:893@FC9@@5D @7 v@>2[ 2 =2C86 AC@G:?4:2= 42A:E2= ?62C E96 3@C56C H:E9 #H2?52 H9:49 E96 |ab D6:K65 :? 2 =:89E?:?8 @776?D:G6 :? 62C=J a_ad[ H:E?6DD6D D2:5]k^Am
kAmQp uC6?49 &}xrtu 9F>2?:E2C:2? H@C<6C 92D 366? <:==65 :? v@>2] x 6IE6?5 E96 ?2E:@?VD DFAA@CE 2?5 DJ>A2E9J E@ 96C 72>:=J[ =@G65 @?6D 2?5 4@==628F6D[Q uC6?49 !C6D:56?E t>>2?F6= |24C@? D2:5 @? )[ FC8:?8 QC6DA64E 7@C 9F>2?:E2C:2? =2H 2?5 7@C E96 A6CD@??6= H9@ 2C6 @? E96 8C@F?5 2?5 4@>>:EE65 E@ D2G:?8 =:G6DQ]k^Am
k9am\ w@FD6 9:E \k^9am
kAmwF>2?:E2C:2? D@FC46D 2?5 C6D4F6CD 2E E96 D:E6 E@=5 pu! E92E E96 uC6?49 H@>2? H2D <:==65 5FC:?8 E96 ?:89E 3J 2 DEC:<6 @? 2 9@FD6 H96C6 D96 H2D DE2J:?8]k^Am
kAm%96 3F:=5:?8 :D :? w:>3:[ 2 C6D:56?E:2= ?6:893@FC9@@5 @7 v@>2 @? E96 D9@C6D @7 {2<6 z:GF H96C6 >2?J 6IA2EC:2E6D[ DE277 >6>36CD 2?5 9625BF2CE6CD @7 9F>2?:E2C:2? @C82?:D2E:@?D 2C6 32D65]k^Am
kAm{2C86 C6D:56?46D :? E96 2C62 H6C6 C6BF:D:E:@?65 3J |ab =6256CD 27E6C E96J D6:K65 E96 4:EJ]k^Am
kAm$64FC:EJ D@FC46D 4@?E24E65 3J pu! D2:5 E96J 36=:6G65 E96 DEC:<6D H6C6 E2C86E:?8 @77:4:2=D @C 2==:6D @7 E96 2C>65 8C@FA 2?5 E92E E96 9@FD6 H96C6 E96 2:5 H@C<6C H2D DE2J:?8 H2D 9:E 3J >:DE2<6]k^Am
kAmp 9F>2?:E2C:2? H@C<6C H9@ H2D ?62C E96 9@FD6 5FC:?8 E96 DEC:<6 E@=5 pu! 96 962C5 EH@ 6IA=@D:@?Di E96 7:CDE H2D AC646565 3J E96 D@F?5 @7 5C@?6D[ E96? 2 D64@?5 @?6[ 7@==@H65 3J E96 D@F?5 @7 2 5C@?6 >@G:?8 2H2J 7C@> E96 D:E6]k^Am
kAmu:C67:89E6CD[ &?:E65 }2E:@?D 6>A=@J66D 2?5 @77:4:2=D 7C@> E96 |ab H6C6 AC6D6?E 2E E96 D:E6 62C=J @? (65?6D52J]Â k^Am
kAm%96 9@FD6 H2D D6G6C6=J 52>2865[ A2CE:2==J 3FC?E 2?5 :ED C@@7 56DEC@J65]Â k^Am
kAm%96 H2==D 2?5 7FC?:EFC6 2AA62C65 C:55=65 H:E9 E:?J >2C<D]k^Am
kAmr@==628F6D 2?5 E9@D6 4=@D6 E@ E96 uC6?49 2:5 H@C<6C 6>@E:@?2==J 925 82E96C65 2E E96 D:E6]k^Am
kAm}@ 563C:D @7 2 5C@?6 @C AC@;64E:=6 92D J6E 366? :56?E:7:65[ 6>6C86?4J E62>D D2:5]k^Am
k9am\ z6J >:?6C2=D \k^9am
kAmu@C E9C66 564256D[ E96 >:?6C2=\C:49 r@?8@=6D6 62DE 92D 366? C:G6? 3J 7:89E:?8 36EH66? 5@K6?D @7 2C>65 8C@FAD[ H:E9 7@C6:8? 2C>:6D H25:?8 :? 7C@> E:>6 E@ E:>6]k^Am
kAmp 92=7\5@K6? 462D67:C6D 9@A:?8 E@ 6?5 E96 |ab 4@?7=:4E 92G6 366? 3C@<6C65 367@C6 36:?8 3C@<6? :? D9@CE @C56C]Â k^Am
kAmx? 62C=J |2C49[ E96 |ab 2??@F?465 E96 562E9 @7 @?6 @7 :ED DA@<6D>6?[ (:==J }8@>2[ :? 2 5C@?6 DEC:<6 ?62C E96 #F32J2 >:?6 :? }@CE9 z:GF AC@G:?46]k^Am
kAm%96 #F32J2 >:?6 :D F?56C E96 |abVD 4@?EC@= 2?5 2 <6J D@FC46 @7 C6G6?F6 7@C E96 2C>65 8C@FA[ H9:49 E2I6D E96 6IEC24E:@? @7 2?5 EC256 :? >:?6C2=D @? :ED A2E49]Â k^Am
kAm&} 6IA6CED 36=:6G6 #H2?52 FD6D E96 |ab 2D 2 E@@= E@ 4@?EC@= E96 r@?8@=6D6 62DEVD C:49 G6:?D @7 4C:E:42= >:?6C2=D[ ?@E23=J E96 4@=E2? <6J E@ E96 >2?F724EFC6 @7 >@3:=6 A9@?6D 2?5 6=64EC:4 42C 32EE6C:6D]Â k^Am
kAmpE E96 368:??:?8 @7 |2C49[ E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D 2??@F?465 D2?4E:@?D 282:?DE E96 #H2?52? 2C>J 2D 2 C6DF=E @7 :ED DFAA@CE 7@C E96 |ab]k^Am
kAm(9:=6 56?J:?8 @776C:?8 E96 |ab >:=:E2CJ 324<:?8[ #H2?52 :?D:DED E92E :E 7246D 2? 6I:DE6?E:2= E9C62E 7C@> E96 AC6D6?46 :? E96 62DE6C? s#r @7 2C>65 8C@FAD =:?<65 E@ E96 `hhc #H2?52? 86?@4:56 @7 E96 %FED:D]Â k^Am
kAm4=E\=F>^D3<\<;>^4Hk^Am
