Congo army and rebels trade blame over clashes, troop buildup
KINSHASA (Reuters) -Congo's army on Tuesday accused Rwanda-backed rebels of carrying out multiple attacks in eastern Congo which it said violated agreements signed in Washington and Doha, and warned it reserved the right to respond to provocations.
The army statement came a day after the rebel group, known as M23, accused Congolese forces of mobilising more troops and violating the terms of a declaration of principles signed on July 19 in Doha voicing support for a permanent ceasefire.
The conflicting statements came as peace talks scheduled to resume in Doha last week have been delayed. In the declaration of principles, Congo and M23 pledged to begin talks by August 8 and aim for a final deal by August 18.
Neither side currently has delegations in Doha.
M23 leader Bertrand Bisimwa said last week that the rebels had not received an invitation to the talks.
Another rebel leader, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters the group would not go to Doha "until Kinshasa begins to respect the declaration of principles, which provides for the release of our detained members".
The statement on Tuesday from Congo's army said M23 was perpetrating almost daily attacks on its positions.
The earlier M23 statement said Congo's army had carried out significant troop movements and military equipment deployments in six different locations.
The Qatar-hosted talks were intended to run parallel to a mediation effort by U.S. President Donald Trump's administration involving Congo and Rwanda.
Washington hopes the diplomatic push will produce a sustainable peace and attract billions of dollars of Western investment to a region rich in tantalum, gold, cobalt, copper and lithium.
M23 rebels seized eastern Congo's largest city Goma in January as part of a rapid advance that has given them control of more territory than ever before.
Rwanda, which has long denied helping M23, says its forces act in self-defence against Congo's army and ethnic Hutu militiamen linked to the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
(Reporting Congo newsroom; Writing by by Ayen Deng Bior; Editing by Robbie Corey-Boulet and Ed Osmond)
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