Rebels widely believed to be backed by Rwanda seized the eastern Congolese town of Goma yesterday, parading past United Nations peacekeepers ,who gave up the battle for the frontier city of one million people.
As the leaders of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo were due to meet for crisis talks in Uganda, France called for a review of the local UN mandate, saying it was absurd that a substantial force, made up of troops from India, South Africa and Uruguay, had failed to hold off a few hundred rebels.
The rebel takeover of Goma came after days of clashes between the M23 movement and UN-backed Congolese soldiers.
The M23 rebellion has aggravated tensions between Congo and Rwanda.
– (Reuters)
