Rebels hold town after attack
2008-11-06 14:25
Kiwanja - Rebels have maintained control of a town in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo after two days of fighting with pro-government militias, AFP reporters said on Thursday.
Fighters from Laurent Nkunda's National Congress for the Defence (CNDP) of the People fought for Kiwanja with the Mai-Mai militia in clashes that forced humanitarian groups to halt aid efforts in the region.
The town, 80km north of the Nord-Kivu provincial capital of Goma, was deserted on Thursday with shops closed and only armed CNDP rebels on the streets.
Nkunda's rebels first took Kiwanja last week as part of an offensive that took them to the gates of Goma. The CNDP said the pro-government Mai-Mai militia launched an attack on Kiwanja on Tuesday that led to the two days of clashes.