Over 100 Killed in Weekend DRC Clashes

More than 100 people are believed to have been killed in the weekend clashes between M23 rebels and Congolese government forces.
The battle over Mutaho area, 10 Kilometers from Goma in North Kivu Province broke out at about 2:00pm Congolese local time and stopped at 9:30pm. The gun battle is said to have claimed several causalities.
Lambert Mende, the Congolese government spokesperson alleges that government forces killed more than 100 M23 rebels and captured 12 others. He also says that they lost 7 government soldiers in the battle.
Mende accuses the rebels of trying to disrupt the deployment of the United Nations intervention Brigade in areas near their control.  However, Amani Kabashe, the Civilian spokesperson of the M23 rebels has rubbished claims that they lost more than 100 men in the clash. He accuses government of peddling lies to show the World that the situation is under control. Kabashe instead claims that they inflicted heavy damage on the government troops but couldn’t say how many soldiers they killed.
He also accused the Kinshasa government of targeting Kinyarwanda speaking Congolese and executing them.  Kabashe accuses the Kabila government of failing to find a lasting solution to the problems in the country and instead focused on militarizing the country. He says ever since they withdrew from Goma, the rebels are now convinced that the Kabila government is not committed to peace talks.
He asks the Congolese government to show commitment to peace talks and consider finding a peaceful solution to the problems of the country, which are political instead of resorting to war.