African News Agency : Welcome

New York, 21 Nov - (ANA - The UN Security Council has backed a resolution calling for sanctions against leaders of rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The resolution, adopted unanimously, came hours after the M23 rebels seized the strategic eastern city of Goma. The insurgents met little resistance from the army or UN peacekeepers. In its resolution, the Security Council demanded an end to foreign support for the rebels and expressed readiness to take appropriate measures. After M23 fighters entered Goma, the leaders of DR Congo and Rwanda, Joseph Kabila and Paul Kagame, flew to Kampala for talks with their Ugandan counterpart, amid claims that Rwanda was backing the rebels. Meetings are expected to continue today. Mr Kabila has urged people to "resist" the M23, who launched their rebellion seven months ago. But there was no resistance from the nearly 1,500 UN peacekeepers in the city, which lies two hours' drive away from Rwanda's capital, Kigali. A UN spokesman said its peacekeepers had held their fire as rebels took the city to avoid triggering a battle, putting civilians at risk. In the resolution, proposed by France, the members of the Security Council strongly condemned the seizure of Goma and asked Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to look into reports that external support had greatly increased the rebels' military capability. They have already imposed sanctions on the head of the M23 rebel group and are planning to target more leadership figures. Goma, with a population of about one million, is the main city in resource-rich eastern DR Congo and is the main point for processing minerals coming out of the country. Some locals reportedly shouted "welcome" and "thank you" as M23 leader Sultani Makenga and hundreds of his fighters entered Goma. But the UN has said it has received reports that the rebels have abducted women and children from Goma. Killings and looting have also been reported. (ANA)