DR Congo fights rebels on Lake Tanganyika

File Photo: UN Troops. 

The Democratic Republic of Congo’s government has used naval boats to fight rebels on Lake Tanganyika in the east of the country.

Reports say there was heavy fighting near the lakeside city of Uvira.

The fighting between the Mai-Mai Yakutumba militia and Congolese government forces was reported to have broken out at the weekend on the outskirts of Uvira, which was close to the border with Burundi.

“Since 5am (03:00 GMT) there has been an exchange of gunfire between the army and the Mai-Mai in Uvira,” Lubungula Dem’s M’Sato, a member of a peace-building advocacy group in Uvira said..

A local resident has confirmed the fighting. He said that helicopters of Congo’s UNc peacekeeping mission, Monusco, are helping Congolese soldiers to fight the rebels who are reported to have captured some villages.

The region is the world’s biggest source of coltan, used in mobile phones and other electronic products.

BBC/VON.