Page 6 - aruba-today-20221228

A6 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 28 december 2022
Abduction, torture, rape: Conflict in Congo worsens, says UN

By SAM MEDNICK military and the U.N. mission
Associated Press in Congo, said the report.
DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Adding to the difficult situ-
The accounts are haunting. ation in eastern Congo, at-
Abductions, torture, rapes. tacks by the Allied Demo-
Scores of civilians including cratic Forces believed to
women and children have be linked with the Islamic
been killed by the M23 reb- State group are increas-
els in eastern Congo, ac- ing, said the report. A near-
cording to a U.N. report ly year-long joint operation
In addition, the M23 reb- by Uganda and Congo’s
els have forced children armies “has not yet yield-
to be soldiers, according ed the expected results of
to the report by a panel of defeating or substantially
U.N. experts. The 21-page weakening the ADF,” it
report based on interviews said. Since April ADF attacks
with more than 230 sources have killed at least 370 civil-
and visits to Rutshuru area ians and abducted several
of Congo’s North Kivu prov- hundred more, including a
ince where the M23 have significant number of chil-
seized territory, is expected dren, it said. The group also
to be published this week. extended its area of opera-
Conflict has been simmer- tions to Goma and into the
ing in eastern Congo for Residents flee fighting between M23 rebels and Congolese forces near Kibumba, some 20 kms ( neighboring Ituri province.
decades where more than 12 miles) North of Goma, Democratic republic of Congo, on Oct. 29, 2022. Associated Press The fighting is exacerbat-
120 armed groups are fight- ing eastern Congo’s dire
ing in the region, most for called for the rebels to be abuse but they are forced questions about the allega- humanitarian crisis. Almost
land and control of mines integrated into the Congo to pay taxes, said the pan- tions, but has previously dis- 6 million people are inter-
with valuable minerals, army. The M23 accuse the el. At the Bunagana border missed it as propaganda. nally displaced in Congo
while some groups are try- government of not imple- crossing with Uganda, the The violence by the rebels with more than 450,000 dis-
ing to protect their commu- menting the accord. rebels earned an average is part of an overall worsen- placed in North Kivu prov-
nities. In late 2021 the reactivated of $27,000 a month mak- ing of the crisis in eastern ince since clashes esca-
The already volatile situ- M23 began killing civilians ing people carrying goods Congo, with fighting by lated in February. Hundreds
ation significantly dete- and capturing swaths of pay as they entered and armed groups intensifying of thousands are facing ex-
riorated this year when the territory. M23 fighters raped left the country, said the and expanding in the North treme food insecurity and
M23 resurfaced after being and harassed women trying UN. Two locals living under Kivu and Ituri provinces, disease is spreading, say
largely dormant for nearly to farm family fields in areas M23 who did not want to said the report. aid groups.
a decade. controlled by the rebels, be named for fear of their “The security and humani- Cholera cases are spiking in
The M23 first rose to promi- according to the report. safety, told The Associated tarian situation in North Nyiragongo, a region host-
nence 10 years ago when The rebels accused civilians Press they’d been forced Kivu and Ituri Provinces ing many of the displaced
its fighters seized Goma, the of spying for the Congolese to bring the rebels bags of significantly deteriorated, people in North Kivu, with
largest city in Congo’s east, army, said the report. They beans, pay $5 if they want- despite the continuous more than 970 cases of the
which sits on the border were often incarcerated ed to access their farms enforcement of a state disease discovered in re-
with Rwanda. The group and some were beaten to and take backroads if they of siege over the past 18 cent weeks, said Save The
derives its name from a death, it said. want to leave the village months,” and despite mili- Children.
peace agreement signed Not only are populations for fear of reprisal. tary operations by Congo’s Efforts to stem the violence
on March 23, 2009 which living under M23 subject to The M23 did not respond to armed forces, Uganda’s have yielded little results. q

Spain scraps value-added tax on staple foods in aid package

By CIARÁN GILES meat products were ex- from a crisis that started
Associated Press cluded from the tax re- with the COVID-19 pan-
MADRID (AP) — Spain on ductions. Sánchez said demic in 2020 and was ex-
Tuesday announced a the three packages of aid acerbated by the war.
new series of measures in- measures passed since the The government will main-
cluding scrapping valued- start of the war in February tain a cut in the tax on
added tax on staple food, would cost about 45 billion electricity, from 10% to 5%,
such as bread and milk, euros ($48 billion), includ- for another six months as
and is extending rent and ing 10 billion for the latest well issuing a new check of
eviction controls to help round of measures. 200 euros for people earn-
ease the economic crisis He said the aim was “to ing less than 27,000 euros
caused by Russia’s war in protect the middle and a year. He said the check
Ukraine. working classes given the would benefit 4.2 million
Prime Minister Pedro Sán- rise in the cost of living, en- homes.
chez announced the mea- ergy and food.” The government extended
Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez listens to a question during sures in an end-of-year Although inflation and en- the suspension of evictions
a news conference to give a roundup of the economic and speech. The government ergy prices in Spain have of poor people, a mea-
political situation over the past year in Madrid, Spain, Tuesday, said it would also cut VAT fallen sharply in recent sure that has been in effect
Dec. 27, 2022. on cooking oil and pasta months, many Spaniards since the COVID-19 pan-
Associated Press
from 10% to 5%. Fish and continue to suffer severely demic. q