FILE PHOTO: Congolese people carry their belongings as they flee from their villages around Sake, in Masisi territory, following clashes between M23 rebels and the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo, toward Goma, North Kivu province, Democratic Republic of Congo, February 7, 2024. REUTERS/Arlette Bashizi/File Photo
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States welcomed a two-week humanitarian truce in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the White House said on Thursday, amid fierce fighting between government troops and Rwanda-backed M23 rebels.
The fighting in North Kivu province has sent more than 1.7 million people fleeing their homes, driving up the number displaced in Congo by multiple conflicts to a record 7.2 million, according to United Nations estimates.
