United Nations Radio

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called for an immediate cessation of hostilities and the withdrawal of forces in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Resumed fighting, which broke a previous ceasefire, was reported by the UN mission in the DRC in the area of Rutshuru starting two days ago and in the Nyanzale area this morning.

UN spokesperson Michele Montas read out the statement of Mr. Ban, who is on his way to an African Union summit in Nairobi, Kenya on the situation in the DRC.

"He urges the armed groups involved in the ongoing fighting to support the current efforts to find a political solution to the crisis in the eastern DRC and to avoid activities that result in the further displacement and suffering of the civilian population."

The Secretary-General will also meet in Kenya with his newly-appointed Special Envoy dealing with the situation in the eastern Congo, former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Reporting for UN Radio, I'm Bissera Kostova.

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