Canadian soldiers have been temporarily relocated from a major city in eastern Congo amid an escalating conflict that the United Nations and locals say has displaced more than 110,000 people in recent days.
Rebels closed settlement camps as they battle against multiple armed groups and government forces for control of the mineral-rich region, The Associated Press reported.
The rebel group known as M23, which is supported by Rwandan troops, seized the city of Goma in late January.
“The (Canadian Armed Forces) has taken the decision to deliberately, temporarily relocate deployed personnel from Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), to Uganda following recent assessments of the security situation in Goma,” Maj. Graeme Scott, spokesperson for the Canadian Joint Operations Command, said in an email to CTVNews.ca on Friday.
“For operational security reasons, specific details regarding the relocation plan will not be discussed at this time.”
The move affects seven Canadian military members who were part of Operation Crocodile in Goma, including six who directly support the UN peacekeeping mission in the country, and one who is supporting the other members, Scott said.
The United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) was created in 2010 to protect civilians from violence and to monitor a UN arms embargo following the Second Congo War.
Scott said Friday other military members will remain deployed in Kinshasa, the country’s capital and largest city, and will continue supporting the MONUSCO peacekeeping mission in person.
The personnel redeployed from Goma to Uganda will still conduct “operational activities” to support the mission, he added.
Violence in the Goma area was spurred by armed groups fighting for land and mines and trying to protect their communities, The Associated Press reported. The conflict has been surging across eastern Congo for decades.
With files from CTV News' Luca Caruso-Moro and The Associated Press
