Russia and Ukraine fight on despite WW2 celebration ceasefire proposal

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Russia and Ukraine launched major attacks on each other Friday, with a two-day unilateral ceasefire that Moscow had declared around its World War II commemorations appearing to be in tatters. Ukraine never said it would abide by Moscow’s call to halt strikes and lambasted Russian leader Vladimir Putin for only wanting to pause fighting so he could stage a grand parade on Red Square on Saturday. Kyiv said Moscow ignored a Ukrainian call to halt fighting earlier this week — a counter-proposal for a short-term ceasefire that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky cast as a test of whether the Kremlin was serious about providing a brief respite in the four-year war. Russia has threatened a massive strike on the heart of Kyiv if Ukraine disrupts the Victory Day parade on Saturday, repeatedly urging foreign diplomats to evacuate the Ukrainian capital ahead of time. “On the Russian side, there was not even a token attempt to cease fire on the front,” Ze...
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Rwanda-backed M23 group says it has begun leaving seized Congo town

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By RUTH ALONGA and WILSON MCMAKIN — Associated Press

Rwanda-backed M23 rebels claimed to have begun a withdrawal from the city of Uvira in eastern Congo late Wednesday night, according the leader of the rebel group and local authorities.

Bertrand Bisimwa, leader of the M23, spoke to The Associated Press via telephone and said the withdrawal would be complete by Thursday morning.

Bwija also claimed that pro-government militias know as Wazelendo have begun to approach the city but the AP was unable to confirm this.

When asked who would take control of the city following his forces withdrawal, Bisimwa said the responsibility fell to the mediators and that M23 had “requested a neutral force, and we believe that those who asked us to withdraw will be able to deploy them very quickly.”

A spokesperson for the governor of South Kivu said he was unable to confirm the withdrawal late Wednesday night.

The U.S. last week accused Rwanda of violating the agreement by backing the new rebel advance in the mineral-rich eastern Congo, and warned that the Trump administration will take action against “spoilers” of the deal.

The accord didn’t include the rebel group, which is negotiating separately with Congo and agreed earlier this year to a ceasefire that both sides accuse the other of violating. However, the accord obliges Rwanda to halt support for armed groups like M23 and work to end hostilities.

The rebel push into Uvira brought the conflict to the doorstep of neighboring Burundi, which has maintained troops in eastern Congo for years, heightening fears of a broader regional spillover.

Around 64,000 refugees from Congo have arrived in Burundi since the start of the month, according to the U.N. refugee agency. There have also been reports of shells falling in the town of Rugombo, on the Burundian side of the border.

Congo, the U.S. and U.N. experts accuse Rwanda of backing M23, which has grown from hundreds of members in 2021 to around 6,500 fighters, according to the U.N.

More than 100 armed groups are vying for a foothold in mineral-rich eastern Congo, near the border with Rwanda, most prominently M23. The conflict has created one of the world’s most significant humanitarian crises, with more than 7 million people displaced, according to the U.N. agency for refugees.



from The Times Of Earth https://ift.tt/Wof6b3x

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