Uganda, Feb. 15 -- The UN peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), commonly known as Monusco, and Congolese military are fighting the M23 rebels in the eastern region of the country, despite its withdrawal process already underway, said Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence Jean-Pierre Bemba on Tuesday.

Bemba made the remarks in Goma, the capital of the Eastern North Kivu Province, where tensions have been on the rise with intensive fighting between the Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC) and the M23 rebels in the city of Sake and its surroundings, about 23 km to the northwest of Goma.

"I wanted to reassure our population that Monusco is in operations with us on the ground. Its soldiers are fighti...