EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton urged rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo and regional players to commit to peace Saturday as fighting flared again, days after peace talks failed.
A statement from Ashton's office expressing strong concern over a second day of clashes in the northeast urged "the M23 to commit urgently to a peaceful solution based on the provisions" laid out in peace talks in Kampala that broke down on Monday.
She also called on "all actors in the region to prevent further escalation and internationalisation of the conflict."
"The reported impact across the border in Rwanda of recent actions should also be jointly investigated," she said.
Neighbouring Rwanda has accused DR Congo troops of firing three shells over the border into its territory and threatened to retaliate if the firing continued.
Rebels claimed the army attacked their positions early Friday, but the military insisted it came under attack first -- a claim supported by a source from the UN peacekeeping mission in the country, MONUSCO.
Ashton reiterated that the region had agreed to a framework calling for an end to support for armed groups and urged "all actors to live up to their responsibilities to ensure peace."
TWEET YOUR COMMENT