M23 Rebels Sack DRC City, Kill 15

The M23 rebel group took over the town of Nyanzale in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on Wednesday, killing at least 15 people in bomb attacks. A local official told Reuters, "The victims were killed by bombs fired indiscriminately by the M23.” Nyanzale is about 130 km (80 miles) north by road from the provincial capital Goma and is home to thousands of internally displaced people who fled fighting in surrounding areas. The M23 is a Tutsi-led group that has intensified its campaign in eastern Congo this year. U.N. experts and Western powers such as the United States and France say that the group is backed by Rwanda, which Rwanda denies. The European Union this week called for dialog between Congo and Rwanda to tackle the root causes of the conflict, saying only a political solution could end it. For more on the situation, VOA’s Douglas Mpuga reached reporter Zanem Nety Zaidi in Goma