The U.N. peacekeeping mission in Congo, MONUSCO has deployed troops to Uvira in the Democratic Republic of Congo to protect civilians and deter further attacks after clashes erupted between armed groups and the Congolese army. Uvira is located near the Burundian border, on the northern end of Lake Tanganyika.
The Mai Mai Yakutumba militia is said to have sent four motorboats filled with armed men over the lake to attack a bridge towards the end of last week. Eastern Congo has been wracked by violence for years as the government and various militias fight for control of rich mines that produce gold and coltan, a material used in mobile phones.
Tensions have run even higher due to the failure of the DRC’s government to organize elections and President Joseph Kabila’s refusal to leave office at the end of his term last December.
