UN chief Guterres urges armed groups in Congo to lay down arms

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Saturday urged all armed groups in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo to lay down their weapons, saying
their presence was causing “humanitarian tragedies” and threatening regional security.
Guterres was speaking at a meeting of regional leaders in Bujumbura, the commercial capital of Burundi, convened to discuss the security situation in Congo where armed groups have been blamed for violence and mass displacement of civilians.
Eastern Congo has for years been plagued by widespread violence that has included killings, rapes and mutilations by armed insurgents from various groups including M23 and the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF).
“The presence of these armed groups…leads to humanitarian tragedies and serious human rights abuses, including sexual violence,” Guterres said, adding there were over 100 armed groups in eastern Congo and that their presence was threatening regional security.