The family was among hundreds of Congolese fleeing on Friday through the town of Sake, which they no longer saw as secure after the M23 rebel group appeared to gain control of the frontline hotspot of Mushaki around 15 km (9 miles) to the west.
“If it weren’t for this war, we would be in our village without any problems, farming and getting on with daily chores,” said Hangi, 42, as the family paused to rest on the stony road.
“Now that we are displaced, that’s all over and we suffer,” he said, worrying out loud about how his young son would manage the long distance ahead with no shoes.
Congo’s army did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the security situation, but a senior army official said Congolese troops had chosen to draw back from Mushaki and withdraw their artillery from Sake to avoid civilian casualties.
“The M23 did not take Mushaki. There was a strategic withdrawal,” the…
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