Monday, November 19, 2012
Leftist rebels of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) have announced a two-month unilateral ceasefire. The announcement was made on the first day of peace talks with Colombian government officials in Cuba.
Colombia’s FARC rebels announced a two-month ceasefire on Monday as they opened negotiations with the government in an attempt to restore peace after nearly half a century of war.
FARC spokesman Luciano Marin, known under the alias “Ivan Marquez,” said the group will halt all military operations beginning at midnight on Monday until January 20.
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Sunday, November 18, 2012
A Rwandan-backed rebel group has advanced to within two miles of Goma, a crucial provincial capital in eastern Congo, the first time rebels have been so close since 2008. The advance came despite the deaths of 151 rebels and two army officers in fighting that culminated in a series of attacks by UN helicopters on rebel positions in eastern Congo on Saturday.
A Congolese army spokesman, Colonel Olivier Hamuli, said the fighting around Goma started at 6am on Saturday. He denied reports that Congolese soldiers were refusing to fight and fleeing.
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Palestinian medical sources announced on Sunday at dawn that the continued Israeli bombardment against Gaza have left 60 killed, including 16 children, while 550 others were injured since Wednesday.
Two children were killed when an air raid targeted their home in northern Gaza, while 13 others were injured.
Several air strikes were reported across the Gaza Strip, escalating after midnight.
Moreover, six journalists were injured when Israeli warplanes fired missiles at “Ash-Shawwa and Al- Husari” building in Gaza City.
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Saturday, November 17, 2012
Israeli aircraft have struck Hamas government buildings in Gaza, including the offices of Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh after the city suffered overnight air strikes.
This comes after Israel’s cabinet gave the go ahead to call up 75,000 reservists for a possible ground invasion in response to Palestinian militants firing towards the country.
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Clashes erupted again between the army and M23 rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the restive region where fighting has been flaring all week, the two sides said.
“Early this morning they attacked,” said Lieutenant Colonel Olivier Hamuli, an army spokesman. “We’re in the middle of fighting at the moment.”
A spokesman for the rebels, Colonel Vianney Kazarama, confirmed that fighting broke out early in the morning, adding that the army “attacked us with helicopters and tanks.”
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