Government troops have captured a string of towns since the weekend
Government
troops in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo have recaptured a key
military base from the M23 rebel group, an army spokesman has said.
Cheering crowds reportedly welcomed the troops as they entered Rumangabo town, where the base is located.It is the fifth rebel-held town to fall since fighting resumed last week.
The US has called for an end to the conflict, saying it was a "tinderbox" that could escalate into a full-scale regional war.
Rwanda and Uganda deny persistent Congolese and UN allegations that the neighbours are backing the rebel forces.
'Retreating rebels' The UN Security Council is due to told emergency talks on the conflict later on Monday.
The UN has deployed a new intervention brigade to eastern DR Congo with a stronger mandate to confront armed groups.
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Russell Feingold US envoyIt risks bringing in other forces into this matter that could lead to a cross-national war”
On Sunday, the UN mission in DR
Congo, Monusco, said a Tanzanian peacekeeper was killed during fighting
with the M23 in the town of Kiwanja.
"The soldier died while protecting the people of Kiwanja," Monusco said in a statement. Peace talks between the government and M23, hosted by neighbouring Uganda, broke down last week.
It ended about two months of relative calm in eastern DR Congo.
The government is re-establishing its rule in Rumangabo after government forces entered the town on Monday, said North Kivu province governor Julien Palukui.
"We have just held two meetings in order to discuss how to uplift the population... and we are announcing the restoration of the civil service within the next 24 hours.'' he added.
An Associated Press reporter travelling with the army said residents had welcomed the soldiers.
Residents said rebel fighters fled on Sunday, firing shots into the air, AP reports.
Who are the M23 rebels?
- Named after the 23 March 2009 peace accord which they accuse the government of violating
- This deal saw them join the army before they took up arms once more in April 2012
- Also known as the Congolese Revolutionary Army
- Mostly from minority Tutsi ethnic group
- Deny being backed by Rwanda and Uganda
- Believed to have 1,200 to 6,000 fighters
- International Criminal Court indicted top commander Bosco "Terminator" Ntaganda in 2006 for allegedly recruiting child soldiers
The military success in Rumangabo
followed the capture of four other areas - Kiwanja, Rutshuru, Buhumba
and Kibumba - since the weekend, the army said.
However, the victory in Rumangabo is the most significant, and will boost the morale of the DR Congo army, correspondents say.Rumangabo had one of the three biggest military bases in DR Congo before it fell to the rebels last year, they say.
It had existed since the time of ex-ruler Mobutu Sese Seko.
The M23 had been using the base as a training camp.
At least 800,000 people have fled their homes in DR Congo since the M23 launched its rebellion in April 2012.
The US special envoy for the Great Lakes, Russell Feingold, said the fighting should stop.
"I hope that President Kabila and others in the DRC see this chain of events that have occurred as something that enhances their credibility as a military, but that there are enormous risks in simply moving forward, believing that a military solution is the full answer," Mr Feingold said, AFP news agency reports.
"It risks bringing in other forces into this matter that could lead to a cross-national war."
The rebels briefly occupied eastern DR Congo's main town, Goma, in November 2012 before pulling out under international pressure.
The M23 rebel movement is named after a 23 March 2009 peace deal that ended four years of rebellion in eastern DR Congo.
The rebels complained the Congolese government had failed to honour the agreement, which included integrating them into the army.
The M23 are mainly ethnic Tutsis, like most of Rwanda's leaders.
Eastern DR Congo has been wracked by conflict since 1994, when Hutu militias fled across the border from Rwanda after carrying out a genocide against Tutsis and moderate Hutus.
