CONFLICT

Congo Rebels Refuse to Retreat

Despite having agreed to withdraw from Goma.

Congolese rebels said on Tuesday they were still in control of Goma, despite earlier reports that they had agreed to retreat. Congo’s government has said it will not participate in peace talks unless the rebels leave Goma, which they captured last week. An estimated 500,000 people have fled the area due to the violence in Goma, the largest city in eastern Congo. Both Uganda and Rwanda, two of Congo’s neighbors, have denied United Nations accusations that they are backing the rebels, known as the M23. Both the M23 and Rwanda’s government are ethnic Tutsi, and reports on Monday indicated that Hutu extremists known as the FDLR had crossed the border from Rwanda and attacked the rebels, although the FDLR has denied those reports.