Congo ceases action against Hutu rebels
Congo has suspended Tutsi-led military operations against Rwandan Hutu rebels in an effort to avoid further ethnic tension in the country’s east, a senior army official said Saturday.
At least 165,000 civilians have fled fighting in North Kivu province since February, when army brigades commanded by Tutsis began operations to drive out Rwandan rebels.
Congo’s ground commander Gen. Gabriel Amisi told journalists in North Kivu that the decision was made after consultation with the U.N. mission in Congo and foreign diplomats.
“They said we could not carry out mono-ethnic operations: Tutsis against Hutus. That will create genocide,” he said.
The Democratic Republic of Congo, formerly Zaire, held its first free elections in four decades last year.
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