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Chadian troops transferred weapons taken from Boko Haram into a pick-up truck truck for transport to Niger — Reuters

Goma – Violent clashes have erupted between the army and a militia in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, forcing many civilians to flee their homes, officials said yesterday. Government forces have been fighting rebels of the Alliance of Patriots for a Free and Sovereign DRC (APCLS) in the Masisi territory west of Goma, the capital of North Kivu province.

“The rebels attacked last night,” an army officer said. “We have already managed to push them back. We will continue to chase them until we have cornered them all.”

The number of casualties remained unclear but government officials said one child had been killed.

Emmanuel Balume, a resident of Nyabiondo village in North Kivu, described the situation as “very serious”. He said that “bombs” had been dropped overnight, and that people were seeking refuge at the UN base in Goma.

The chief of Nyabiondo, Abraham Wetewabo, also said residents were packing their belongings and hastily leaving the area.

But local government official Sukisa Nayambaje insisted people had begun to return to their homes as the army was regaining control of the situation.

Fighting in the area first broke out over the weekend.

The APCL, led by former army general Janvier Buingo Karairi, is one of the many armed groups battling for control of the mineral-rich region.

Tens of thousands of people died and more than 100,000 fled their homes during clashes between the APCLS and army forces in February and March 2013, according to the UN.

Meanwhile, the DRC on Wednesday ordered the immediate expulsion of four foreign pro-democracy activists detained at the weekend during a news conference and criticised the United States for supporting the event.

The group were among some 40 activists, musicians and journalists arrested in the capital on Sunday during the news conference. A US diplomat was also briefly detained.

The incident has stoked tensions in the vast, historically unstable Central African country a year ahead of an election. President Joseph Kabila is legally barred from seeking a third term in 2016 although opponents accuse him of plotting to extend his rule.

Government spokesperson Lambert Mende said the foreign activists including a Burkinabe and three Senegalese activists were part of a “subversive movement inspired from abroad”. Authorities had found military uniforms in their luggage but DRC has dropped a criminal investigation into them, he added. – AFP