UN peacekeepers have begun deploying troops in additional areas of the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo to address a fresh surge of violence from various armed groups.

Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said on Wednesday that the decision to deploy troops came after members of the Zaire and CODECO armed groups clashed at a mining site about 40km from Bunia in Ituri Province.

According to the latest report by UN experts, the war has escalated, partly because of the actions of the Voluntary Combatants for the Defence of the Homeland (Wazalendo) who, while fighting against the rebels, are also becoming a source of insecurity for civilians.

Wazalendo have often claimed they are defending their homeland, and are fighting against the M23 in North Kivu.

The government has since banned them from carrying weapons in Goma, the provincial capital.

“We have taken a number of decisions, in particular, we no longer want to see any Voluntary Combatants for the Defence of the Homeland (Wazalendo) in town with a weapon,” said Maj-Gen Peter Cirimwami Nkuba, military governor of North Kivu. While the government says those opposed to foreign interference should be supported, it too is concerned about the atrocities.