SARANSK, January 31. /TASS/. Russia calls for an immediate halt to hostilities in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the withdrawal of illegal armed formations, and the revival of negotiations as part of regional peacekeeping formats, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a news briefing.
The situation in eastern DRC escalated again earlier this month amid an intensified offensive by the March 23 Movement (M23) and the capture of the city of Goma, the administrative center in North Kivu province and home to a civilian population of over 1 million people, the diplomat recounted. Also, M23 rebels have attacked the UN peacekeeping mission in the DRC, killing its employees from South Africa and Uruguay, she added. "We resolutely condemn these crimes," Zakharova stated.
"We are confident that an end to violence in eastern DRC can be achieved through dialogue between all interested parties taking part in the conflict," she said.
"We urge an immediate cessation of hostilities, the withdrawal of M23 units from the occupied territories, and the resumption of the negotiating process within the framework of existing regional peacekeeping formats. We cannot allow the situation to escalate into an interstate conflict," Zakharova concluded.