Waking up to worsening news...
Congo severs ties with Rwanda as eastern conflict escalates
Jan 25 (Reuters) - Congo has severed all diplomatic ties with Rwanda and South Africa said on Saturday that nine of its peacekeepers had been killed amid a surge in fighting with Rwanda-backed rebels in mineral-rich eastern Congo.
The three-year M23 insurgency in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has intensified in January with the M23 rebels seizing control of more territory than ever before, prompting the U.N. to warn of the risk of a broader regional war.
Congo and its allies said on Saturday they had pushed back M23 fighters, who were advancing on the provincial capital Goma.
The sound of nearby heavy bombardment rocked the city in the early hours of Saturday.
Congo, the U.N. and others accuse neighbouring Rwanda of fuelling the conflict with its own troops and weapons. Rwanda denies this, but Congo's army said on Saturday that Rwandan snipers were responsible for the killing of North Kivu's military governor on the front line this week.
Congo has recalled its diplomats from Rwanda and asked the Rwandan authorities to cease diplomatic and consular activities in the Congolese capital within 48 hours, according to a letter from the foreign ministry to the Rwandan embassy dated Jan. 24.
A representative of the ministry on Saturday said the letter represented "the most severe form of diplomatic breakdown." The Rwandan authorities could not immediately be reached for comment due to the late hour.
In a sign of heightened international concern, the U.N. Security Council will meet on Sunday to discuss the crisis, diplomats said. It had earlier planned to meet on Monday.
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Trump says Jordan, Egypt should take more Palestinians from Gaza
ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE, Jan 25 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that Jordan and Egypt should take more Palestinians from Gaza, where Israel's military assault has caused a dire humanitarian situation and killed tens of thousands. When asked if this was a temporary or long-term suggestion, Trump said: "Could be either."
Washington had said last year it opposed the forcible displacement of Palestinians. Rights groups and humanitarian agencies have for months raised concerns over the situation in Gaza, with the war displacing nearly the entire population and leading to a hunger crisis.
Washington has also faced criticism for backing Israel but has maintained support for its ally, saying it is helping Israel defend against Iran-backed militant groups like Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen.
"I said to him I'd love you to take on more because I'm looking at the whole Gaza strip right now and it’s a mess, it's a real mess. I'd like him to take people," Trump, who took office on Jan. 20, said about his call on Saturday with Jordan's King Abdullah.
"I'd like Egypt to take people," Trump told reporters, adding he would speak to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Sunday.
"You’re talking about a million and half people, and we just clean out that whole thing," Trump said.
The population in the Palestinian enclave prior to the start of the Israel-Gaza war was around 2.3 million.
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