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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaJeremy Bowen: Israel denies famine looms in Gaza, but evidence is overwhelmingPublished2 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsIsrael-Gaza warImage source, ReutersImage caption, Erez crossing remains closed despite Israel saying it would reopen itBy Jeremy BowenBBC international editor The first time I crossed into Gaza through the Erez checkpoint in 1991 it was not much more than a few bored Israeli soldiers in a shed, checking IDs, before they let visitors drive their cars through an opening in the barbed wire and into Gaza. In the years since then, it evolved into a gleaming terminal, with complex layers of concrete walls, defences and steel gates, all covered with dozens of CCTV cameras. Only the very trusted and privileged were allowed to drive through Erez. Journalists had to walk and drag their bags with them. Until 7 October, when Hamas fighters smashed through Erez. They attacked the nearby military base, killing Israeli soldiers and taking others hostage. Since then, it has been closed to all but the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). As part of Israel’s attempt to placate President Joe Biden after seven workers from the World Central Kitchen charity were killed by the IDF, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised to reopen Erez to humanitarian convoys. That matters because it is the simplest way to get aid to perhaps 300,000 Palestinians in northern Gaza. The most authoritative measure of food emergencies, known as the IPC, has warned that famine will have gripped the area in the next four weeks or so. Joe Biden’s humanitarian envoy to Gaza, David Satterfield, said on Wednesday that there was “an imminent risk of famine for the majority, if not all, the 2.2 million population of Gaza”. The famine has been caused by the siege Israel imposed just after the 7 October attacks. At the time the Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant said: “I have ordered a complete siege on the Gaza Strip. There will be no electricity, no food, no fuel, everything is closed. “We are fighting human animals, and we are acting accordingly.” Israel was forced by international pressure to allow in limited supplies of aid. But over six months it has not been anything like enough. Israel argued, inaccurately, that hunger in Gaza was caused by Hamas stealing and stockpiling aid and the UN’s failure to distribute what was left.Close supporters of Prime Minister Netanyahu continue to deny there is a famine. One of them, an MP called Boaz Bismuth, told me at Israel’s parliament that there was no famine in Gaza and allegations that Israel was starving civilians were based on antisemitism. The evidence of famine, however, is overwhelming.Image source, Boaz Bismuth/XImage caption, Israeli MP Boaz Bismuth said allegations that Israel was starving civilians were based on antisemitismThe Erez crossing, despite the prime minister’s promise to Joe Biden, is still closed. I managed to get close enough to look down on the Erez terminal. Nothing was moving. I couldn’t see people, let alone trucks. Reports in Israel say the government is talking about opening another crossing, less easily accessible to Israeli demonstrators who do not want any food or medical aid to enter Gaza while the hostages are still there and have been blocking some convoys. The UN and other aid providers say every day counts to try to help people caught up in the humanitarian catastrophe inside Gaza. The fact that Erez is closed looks like a delaying tactic. The Jewish ultranationalists whose backing keeps Mr Netanyahu in power also do not want to send in aid. The denial of famine fits seamlessly into the century of conflict between Arabs and Jews for possession of the land between the river Jordan and the Mediterranean Sea. The conflict is sustained not just by years of Israeli occupation of land in Gaza and the West Bank including East Jerusalem that Palestinians want as a state, and the opposition of armed groups, notably Hamas, to Israel’s existence. They also have opposing, wildly different national stories about their right to be there. The bitterness and bloodshed of the last six months have deepened the dehumanising differences between the two sides. Erez and Ashdod: How will new Gaza aid routes work?Bowen: Obstacles to peace seem larger than ever I have spoken to many Palestinians and Israeli civilians in the last six months about their views of the war. It is hard to speak to Israeli soldiers, at least when they are in uniform. IDF spokespeople try hard to control the messages that reach journalists. But since much of Israel’s fighting strength depends on mobilising reservists, it is much easier to talk to them when they are back in civilian life. In an unscientific attempt to get a feel for the beliefs and perceptions of Israeli soldiers after six months of war I went to Ben Gurion University of the Negev, in the town of Beersheba in southern Israel. It is only about 25 miles from Gaza. Image caption, Students from the university were among those killed on 7 OctoberThe rector of the university, Chaim Hames, told me that more than 100 members of their community – students, staff, faculty and their families – had been killed or taken hostage on 7 October. 6,500 students from a student body of 20,000 were mobilised. The war, Mr Hames said, was always close. “The hospital is just across the road, the helicopters constantly ferrying the wounded from Gaza. Students are sitting in the classrooms. They hear the helicopters coming in and out, and many of them have friends who are still on active duty. It impacts everything.” I spoke to three young men who had spent months fighting in Gaza. They didn’t want to use their full names. One of them, Ben, a 28-year-old postgraduate who serves in an engineering unit blowing up tunnels, had left only a few days before. He said the whole time he was in there it felt personal. “I remember 7 October. I remember all my friends and the kibbutzim from the Gaza Strip. All my friends from the music festival… some are still hostages. The whole point was to make sure that it can never happen again and to replace Hamas as the ruling government. To make sure that our people are safe again.””It’s extremely personal. From day one. I didn’t wake up on a Saturday morning and hear about this from the news. I woke up and learned about it from group chats. From my phone, from people begging for help.” Image caption, The three Israeli students said the war was necessaryOded, another 28-year-old who serves in a combat unit, agreed. “I think everybody here is related somehow to what happened. Everybody. Everybody knows someone that was kidnapped. That was killed… It’s not like a regular situation when it happens to a certain area. It’s heavy. It’s everywhere.” Ilan, a 25-year-old who serves in the reconnaissance unit of the paratroop brigade, detected sympathy and support for Hamas among civilians with whom he had come into contact.”Of course, there are civilians that have nothing to do with it, but many of them are not that innocent… Many had photos of them holding an AK 47, photos of their children holding weapons. All the books, and pictures of Israel in flames.” “I think many of them aren’t innocent and they think it will be really hard to find those that are innocent. But it doesn’t mean I think everyone should get hurt”.All three student soldiers agreed the war was necessary. “We all wish for peace,” said Oded. “For quiet. Of course, I prefer to be here in the university to study, to go and drink my coffee instead of fighting a war like. It’s not fun going to fight in a war, but sometimes it’s necessary. And in this situation, it’s necessary.”According to a poll conducted by Tel Aviv University’s Peace Index three weeks after the 7 October attacks, most Israelis said they were now against the idea, revived by Joe Biden and other Western leaders, that the only way of ending this long conflict is to establish a Palestinian state alongside Israel. Ben said his thinking had changed because of the war. “I think that if you would have asked me this question on 6 October, then I would say definitely yes, I would just do a Palestinian state. Let them live over there, and we’ll live over here, and we’ll all coexist, and everything will be nice. But after 7 October, it seems clear to me that that they don’t want it as much as I wanted it.” Ilan agreed with him. “The idea of a state will never work until they show any acknowledgement of us having also a state of our own. I think the real cause of many of them, unfortunately, not to have two states to have one state, their own state, and us out of here. So of course, I want a good life for them also. But it starts from the education, the route. It will take a long time.” Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, The Islamic University in Gaza City was badly damaged in Israeli bombardments, as were the territory’s 11 other universitiesThe Palestinian view of the war is entirely different. The idea that Israel is committing genocide alongside a whole range of other crimes of war in Gaza is universally accepted among them. As for education, schools and universities have been smashed by Israel in Gaza, as part of a scorched earth policy that has done vast damage.More than 2,000 academics affiliated with universities in North America have written an open letter condemning what they call “scholasticide” in Gaza. All 12 universities in Gaza have been destroyed and damaged. The letter condemns Israel for, among other actions, destroying the Islamic University by air strikes on 11 October and blowing up al-Isra University on 17 January, after using it as a barracks and detention centre. As well as the destruction of higher education, no children are going to primary or secondary schools. Ceasefire talks are going on in Cairo, mediated by the US, Egypt and Qatar. Prospects for success are poor. Both Israel and Hamas have entrenched positions and no inclination to budge. That is bad news for everyone, especially Palestinian civilians in Gaza and the surviving Israeli hostages. Related TopicsIsrael-Gaza warIsraelPalestinian territoriesMore on this storyErez and Ashdod: How will new Gaza aid routes work?Published2 days agoFirst Gaza aid ship sets off from CyprusPublished12 MarchInside the US plan to get food into Gaza by seaPublished13 MarchUN uses new route from Israel to reach north GazaPublished13 MarchWhy food airdrops into Gaza are controversialPublished6 MarchTop StoriesOJ Simpson, NFL star cleared in ‘trial of the century’, dies aged 76Published1 hour agoPostmistress jailed while pregnant rejects ex-Post Office boss’ apologyPublished2 hours agoKey power plant near Kyiv destroyed by Russian strikesPublished5 hours agoFeaturesObituary: The spectacular fall of NFL star OJ SimpsonListen: Americast – The life and death of OJ SimpsonAttributionSoundsBowen: Israel denies famine looms in Gaza, but evidence is overwhelmingHow gang violence gripped a tourist havenNazanin: ‘Freedom is sweet… but it’s not easy’What is the minimum salary UK visa applicants need?UK weather: Is it turning warmer?AttributionWeatherWas South Korea’s president thwarted by a spring onion?Listen: How will Labour plug the gap in NHS funding?AttributionSoundsElsewhere on the BBCShould you be worried about getting enough protein?Dr Julia Ravey and Dr Ella Hubber unpick this macronutrient to find out what it does in our bodiesAttributionSounds’I’m not difficult… I just cannot take mediocrity’Explore the meteoric rise to fame and troubled personal life of the comedy pioneer Peter SellersAttributioniPlayer’I was freaking out, I knew I was in trouble’How did Australian Holly Deane-Johns end up in a notorious Thai prison?AttributionSoundsUnearthing the fascinating stories of our ancestorsBritain’s Biggest Dig gives a glimpse into the life of the rich and poor of Georgian LondonAttributioniPlayerMost Read1Man in court over murder of wife as she pushed pram2OJ Simpson, NFL star cleared in ‘trial of the century’, dies aged 763Postmistress jailed while pregnant rejects ex-Post Office boss’ apology4Stormy conditions turn sea pink5Dazzling artwork found at ancient city of Pompeii6Wife died in ‘out of character’ attack by husband with dementia7Key power plant near Kyiv destroyed by Russian strikes8Donelan’s libel bills cost taxpayers £34,0009Ukrainian MPs pass law to boost troop numbers10Vietnamese billionaire sentenced to death for $44bn fraud
[ad_1] That matters because it is the simplest way to get aid to perhaps 300,000 Palestinians in northern Gaza. The most authoritative measure of food emergencies, known as the IPC,…
![BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaCape Town’s digital nomads: Where idyllic lifestyle clashes with local needsPublished35 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Cape Town’s Table Mountain provides a stunning backdrop to the cityBy Danai Nesta KupembaBBC NewsDigital nomads – the laptop-wielding new generation of remote workers – have found themselves at the sharp end of a debate in the South African city of Cape Town about whether or not they are good for the more permanent residents.Supporters see the international influx as a financial boon and something to be encouraged, but their detractors are not so kind.For 25-year-old South African social media content creator, Az’emahle Dyubeni, the city is facing a “digital nomad epidemic” that is pushing up housing and other costs.Ms Dyubeni has lived in the beautiful coastal city all her life and says since Covid-19 the number of remote workers, mostly from the West, has increased substantially. Though no official figures exist, she is not alone in noticing a change.”When I walk into a cafe I hear German, French, Dutch and American accents,” she tells the BBC, painting a vivid picture of the international flavour of Cape Town’s new workforce. If all that is needed is a decent internet connection then why not set up in one of the world’s most picturesque cities?With Table Mountain in the background, ocean vistas and a perfect summer climate, the attraction is obvious compared to a mundane, grey office cubicle.On a TikTok video, Marley Rose Harris, who describes herself as a digital entrepreneur, calls the city the “most magical place in the world”.Currently many of these visitors, who do things like copywriting or digital content creation, are allowed to live in the country and work for a foreign company for up to 90 days, though the time varies depending on their nationality.”Cape Town is an ideal destination for digital nomads who are looking to blend aspects of tourism and work into their day-to-day activities,” says Alderman James Vos, who is on the city’s committee for economic growth. He adds that research shows that these working visitors bring in a lot of much-needed money during their stay – around $2,700 (£2,139) each.The national government has also taken notice. In February, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced a proposal for a remote-working visa that would be available to “so-called digital nomads, who are able to work virtually from any location in the world” and are employed by foreign organisations.The details though have not been fleshed out.
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Amelie SatzgerCape Town is a big city, but it is also quite intimate. It is not too crazy”Amelie SatzgerPhotographerAmelie Satzger, a 29-year-old photographer from Germany, has had two stints as a digital nomad in Cape Town over the past two years and welcomes the idea of a special visa. Her German passport allows her to stay and work in South Africa for up to three months, but her Polish boyfriend’s passport only lets him be in the country and work for 30 days. She hopes the proposed visa will help more people who want to work in Cape Town for longer stints. Ms Satzger says the warm weather, community and the low cost of living, compared to Germany, are the reasons she wanted to return. She says earning euros makes it easier to get by in the city.Despite rising prices in South Africa, getting paid in a foreign currency can often mean the money will go further.”Cape Town is a big city, but it is also quite intimate. It is not too crazy,” she says. Image source, AFPImage caption, Cape Town provides many attractions that allow the digital nomads to combine work and leisureMs Satzger is part of various WhatsApp groups with other digital nomads who go free diving, hiking and surfing together in their spare time. She has also made many South African friends she met through her meditation group. “[When] I come back, you have people who are excited to see you,” she says. But many Capetonians do not feel this way, going by the volume of complaints on social media, including videos on TikTok and comments on X. Ms Dyubeni says she is being priced out of the city where she has spent her entire life. She fears that she will never be able to afford to move out of her parents’ and live on her own like she had always hoped.
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Az’emahle DyubeniThese digital nomads are making Cape Town unliveable” Az’emahle DyubeniSocial media content creatorThere are a lot of people chasing too few properties in Cape Town and the rental costs are the highest in the country. The average rent is around $540 a month and prices rose by just under 4% between 2022 and 2023, according to South African property site PayProp.”These digital nomads are making Cape Town unliveable,” she sighs.Grant Smee, a rental agent based in Cape Town, tells the BBC there has been a “significant spike in foreigners seeking three-to-six-month rentals”, indicating a rise of remote workers. This is a growing concern for locals as they are being priced out of the housing market, he says. Mr Smee says foreigners have more power than locals because they can offer landlords a higher rent than the asking price, or they pay for a few months upfront – which many South Africans cannot afford to do.Ms Satzger says she understands the frustration many local people feel, as she has noticed housing in the city has become increasingly scarce. Rental expert Mr Smee says that if the proposed digital nomad visa is introduced this could worsen the housing situation.The city government has pledged to protect local communities. “This means cultivating a destination that not only captivates visitors but also enriches the lives of those who live and work here. “Part of this is ensuring a destination that is accessible, affordable and that retains, celebrates, and empowers the communities and cultures that make it unique,” says local politician Mr Vos. But Mr Smee believes the city authority needs to take a step further and implement rent control, though he can see that most landlords would be against this. He acknowledges that capping rents “is an extreme solution [but] it is becoming increasingly clear that further regulation is needed to protect the interests of locals”. Ms Dyubeni also points out what she sees as a double standard in the idea of creating a special digital nomad visa for visitors who mostly come from Europe and North America.Migrants from the rest of the African continent are sometimes viewed with suspicion and immigration levels have become a major issue ahead of next month’s general election.”It begs the question, who is more important – Africans or Europeans?” Ms Dyubeni asks.But while the grumbling from many locals continues, there is little sign that local rules will change, and the beauty of the place that is also known as the Mother City will continue to draw digital nomads to its shore.You may also be interested in:When is the South Africa election and what is at stake?South Africa’s deadly love affair with gunsJacob Zuma – the political wildcard in South Africa’s pollGen Z’s ‘love-hate’ relationship with Nelson MandelaRelated TopicsSouth AfricaAround the BBCFocus on Africa podcastAfrica Daily podcastTop StoriesUkraine nuclear plant drone strike prompts warning over risksPublished3 hours agoBucha’s wounds still raw two years onPublished2 hours agoIsrael reduces troop numbers in southern GazaPublished7 hours agoFeaturesWhere in the UK can you see Monday’s solar eclipse?Path of darkness – scroll every mile of total eclipseThe Papers: ‘Kyiv aid block’ warning and ‘run of a kind’Myanmar’s army massacred Rohingyas. Now it wants their help7 lessons from my first series of University ChallengeThe comics legend lurking in a British basementIndigenous deaths in custody haunt AustraliaSix months on, how close is Israel to eliminating Hamas?West faces ‘authoritarian’ alliance, says Nato headElsewhere on the BBCGet a job, pay the bills. Sounds simple, right?Fresh, surreal comedy from the mind of Lucia KeskinAttributioniPlayerThis family bonds over Race Across the WorldThese are the the things we love on the BBCAttributioniPlayerOne of the most talented bands to never make it…Why did trailblazers Microdisney fail to achieve the commercial success they deserved?AttributioniPlayerDid you know these scenes were filmed in… Glasgow?!Ali Plumb travels through the city’s silver screen sightsAttributioniPlayerMost Read1Where in the UK can you see Monday’s solar eclipse?2Ukraine nuclear plant drone strike prompts warning3Manhunt after mum pushing baby in pram stabbed4’Kyiv aid block’ warning and ‘run of a kind’5Probe after Boeing plane engine cover falls off6’Radiographer started crying during my cancer scan’7Bucha’s wounds still raw two years on8’He was one of us’: Memorial ride for Hairy Biker9Mozambique ferry disaster kills over 90 – officials10Ministers ‘caught by surprise’ over hate crime row](https://newsinsightplus.com/wp-content/uploads/https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/branded_news/17654/production/_133082859_gettyimages-946923982.jpg)
![BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaDR Congo violence: Panic in Goma as M23 rebels advancePublished1 hour agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, EPAImage caption, Goma’s population has swelled in recent days as people arrive by motorbike and foot fleeing advancing fightersBy Samba Cyuzuzo & Mayeni JonesBBC Great Lakes & BBC NewsEmile Bolingo is not sure how long he and other residents of Goma, in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, can hold out.This major city in the region, with about two million people, has been cut off from the farms that feed it for several days.It is the latest episode in a resurgence of fighting that has seen tens of thousands added to the nearly seven million who have been forced from their homes in the country because of multiple conflicts.Rebels from the ethnic Tutsi-led M23 movement are blocking the two main roads into Goma from the north and the west and preventing produce from getting through.”We are scared of going hungry if the [Congolese army] do not liberate any of the main roads very soon. You can feel the panic here… people are very scared,” Mr Bolingo told the BBC.Goma’s population has swelled in recent days with people running from the advancing fighters.Image source, Glody MurhabaziImage caption, Mundeke Kandundao, a motorbike taxi rider, has just undergone surgery after a bomb blastSake, a town 25km (15 miles) north-west of Goma, came under attack on Wednesday.”I sustained a pelvic injury caused by shrapnel,” Mundeke Kandundao told the BBC from his hospital bed in Goma where he has undergone surgery.The 25-year-old motorbike taxi driver said a shell was launched by the rebels from a hill overlooking the town on Wednesday.”I was standing behind a cabin and there were a lot of other people there and that’s where it exploded,” he said.”We are scared because you know the war goes on and on, it is meaningless. We are waiting to see if it ends so that we can go back to our homes.”Laurent Cresci, from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), told the BBC from the state-run Bethsaida Hospital in Goma that patient numbers had surged on Wednesday: “It was really a mass casualty. We were before 80 patients in our ward, and now we have 130 patients so it’s really hard to manage.”For many people it is a tragic case of déjà vu.”For how long shall we live like this? Every now and then we keep fleeing,” Pascal Bashali told the BBC after he had arrived in Goma. People are streaming in by foot, on motorbikes and mini buses.Aline Ombeni said she was distraught on her arrival in the city: “We have fled empty-handed just as you are seeing us – no food, no clothes we need help with shelter and food.”Image source, AFPImage caption, M23 fighters are well equipped, but the group denies being a Rwanda proxyAs the conflict edges closer, it brings back memories of 2012 when the rebels occupied the lakeside city for 10 days before abandoning it following international pressure.The M23, formed as an offshoot of another rebel group, began operating in 2012 ostensibly to protect the Tutsi population in the east of DR Congo which had long complained of persecution and discrimination. UN experts have said that the group is backed by neighbouring Rwanda, which is also led by Tutsis, something that Kigali has consistently denied. “We all know that the reason of this war is economic. Rwanda is continuing… for the past 25 years… looting our mineral resources,” Congolese Communications Minister Patrick Muyaya told the BBC, urging the UK to use its influence with Rwanda to ease the situation.There are now fears that the M23 – by far the most organised, disciplined and well-equipped of the many militia groups in the region – could capture Goma once again.Recently re-elected Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi last year said that “Congolese need to learn to trust us, Goma will never fall”. He repeated the promise, in the city itself, during the election campaign in December.Within reach of major mining towns supplying metals and minerals in high demand such as gold, tin and coltan, Goma has become a vital economic hub. Its road and air transport links, and the fact that it has a huge UN peacekeeping base, has attracted a host of businesses, international organisations and diplomatic consulates.As such, Goma is a valuable strategic target, but the M23 says it does not want to capture it and maintains it is on the defensive not offensive.DR Congo squad use Afcon spotlight to call for peaceWhy TikTokers are quitting vapes over DR CongoA quick guide to DR Congo”If you see the military power of the M23, they could take Goma if they wanted to, but this could bring them many problems,” said Onesphore Sematumba, a DR Congo analyst at the International Crisis Group thinktank.The rebels may just be displaying their capabilities, and also thinking back to 2012 and the international opprobrium that followed the seizing of Goma then.In the aftermath of its withdrawal it suffered a series of heavy defeats at the hands of the Congolese army backed by a multinational force that saw it expelled from the country. M23 fighters then agreed to be re-integrated into the army in return for promises that Tutsis would be protected.But, in 2021, the group took up arms again, saying the promises had been broken.It emerged from the mountain forests on the border between DR Congo, Rwanda and Uganda and edged closer to Goma taking swathes of territory.Ceasefires have been agreed, but these have all broken down, with the government and the M23 blaming each other.The M23 has repeatedly said it still wants peace negotiations with Kinshasa.”We asked for the dialogue to resolve this problem peacefully,” M23 spokesman Lawrence Kanyuka told the BBC. “Many cycles of war… don’t resolve the root causes of conflict. The Congolese government itself doesn’t want that, it wants to go on a war, and kill people even more.” President Tshisekedi has said talks are “out of question”.”One thing must be clear is that we as government, we will never negotiate with M23. M23 doesn’t exist. It’s Rwanda acting with its puppet,” his communications minister told the BBC.Image source, ReutersImage caption, Hundreds of thousands of people have already fled their villages to live in makeshift camps; some are on the move againLast year, an East African force, which was in DR Congo to help protect civilians and secure areas that armed groups had withdrawn from, left the country at the government’s request.Its departure in December was followed by the end of the latest ceasefire and the recent upsurge in activity by the M23.President Tshisekedi hopes that a southern African force that recently arrived in its place will have more success as it has a mandate to attack rebel groups.He has also asked the large UN force in the country, known as Monusco, to leave. It has become increasingly unpopular for its failure to end the conflict during its 25-year deployment. But there are concerns that the conflict could get even worse after the Congolese president threatened in December to declare war on Rwanda if the rebels attack again.In an apparent reply to the remarks, Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame said in January that in defending his country “we will fight like people who have nothing to lose”.Meanwhile, Natàlia Torrent, from medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), has warned that the intensification of fighting in “different areas and on different fronts” since mid-January is having a devastating effect on an already vulnerable population.”We are in an area that has been already prone to the spread of different epidemics. We have been already working in the last year on cholera or measles and we are afraid… [a] new wave of epidemics are going to surge again,” she told the BBC.Reflecting on the fighting, Goma resident Mr Bolingo added: “We are the ones who suffer.” Mr Bashali, who fled from Sake with his wife and nine children, agreed: “Men are dying, children are dying, women are dying, those fighting are dying, what for? We are praying that our country will be peaceful.”Additional reporting by journalist Glody Murhabazi in GomaRelated TopicsDemocratic Republic of CongoMore on this storyDR Congo country profilePublished2 JanuaryAround the BBCFocus on Africa podcastsTop StoriesKing thanks public for support after cancer newsPublished4 hours agoSix-year-old Gazan girl found dead days after plea for helpPublished15 hours agoAre politicians cooling on tackling climate change?Published11 hours agoFeaturesRussia’s war economy can’t last but has bought timeThe planespotter angering Taylor Swift and Elon MuskTeens fight back against online skincare trendsThe Papers: ‘Democracy in danger’ and King’s heartfelt thanksAre politicians cooling on tackling climate change?‘We had to bury our baby in a stranger’s coffin’Will King’s diagnosis bring Harry and William closer?’There is no right or wrong way to have alopecia’Bad economy, nosy relatives: Young Chinese put off by Lunar New YearElsewhere on the BBCIt’s make or break timeAnother set of eager entrepreneurs hope to impress the fearsome panelAttributioniPlayerHow are jelly beans made?Gregg Wallace visits a Dublin factory that makes over ten million of the sweets per day!AttributioniPlayerIs this the greatest Jurassic predator that ever lived?Sir David Attenborough investigates a unique discovery: the skull of a giant, prehistoric sea monsterAttributioniPlayerThe sound effect that became the ultimate movie in-jokeIt’s used in everything from Toy Story to Reservoir Dogs, but what is the Wilhelm Scream?AttributioniPlayerMost Read1The planespotter angering Taylor Swift and Elon Musk2’Democracy in danger’ and King’s heartfelt thanks3‘We had to bury our baby in a stranger’s coffin’4King thanks public for support after cancer news5Hungary president resigns over child abuse pardon6I’d be an eejit not to enjoy Oscars – Cillian Murphy7Faisal Islam: Russia’s war economy cannot last but has bought time8Teens fight back against online skincare trends9Six-year-old Gazan girl found dead days after plea for help10Fujitsu bosses paid £26m during Horizon contract](https://newsinsightplus.com/wp-content/uploads/https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/branded_news/14B90/production/_132608848_epa_congoindex.jpg)
