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00:00 Soldiers are carrying heavy weapons and entrenching themselves in defensive positions.
00:04 UN troops from the Minusco Peacekeeping Force and the Congolese Army are putting on a show
00:09 of strength.
00:10 "Now we're on the defensive, but if any armed group dares to cross the line, we'll
00:15 go on the offensive."
00:18 In Kimuke, near the foothills of eastern Congo's Macisi region, UN peacekeepers and Congolese
00:22 troops have launched a joint operation called "Springbok" designed to halt the advance
00:27 of M23 rebels.
00:28 Journalists were invited to visit their camp.
00:31 The troops, who did not specify their number, put on a united front.
00:34 "Side by side we are protecting the civilians and protecting the good people from this country."
00:39 They are determined, first and foremost, to protect the town of Sake and the city of Goma
00:43 from a possible rebel offensive.
00:45 "This position here isn't simply for show.
00:48 We're here and if the M23 advances, we're ready to fight."
00:53 The joint operation was launched as tensions in the region began to rise, interrupting
00:57 weeks of calm.
00:58 In early October, clashes intensified in Macisi, as well as in the nearby areas of Ruchuru
01:03 and Nyiragongo.
01:04 The fighting is pitting M23 rebels against the Congolese army and local armed groups,
01:09 who call themselves "patriots."
01:11 In Goma, civil society members are not convinced by the joint operation.
01:16 They see the Munusco peacekeeping force as failing to put an end to decades of violence
01:20 perpetrated by armed groups.
01:22 The Congolese government is also pushing for an accelerated departure of the 14,000 peacekeepers
01:27 as of next December.
01:28 "The whole of Ruchuru is occupied by terrorists.
01:33 Munusco should set an example and recover Ritshinga, Rugari or Kalangira and then the
01:37 Congolese people will say that for once, Munusco is acting in good faith, that it's helped
01:42 the republic."
01:45 According to the United Nations, the violence has forced over six million people to flee
01:50 their homes in eastern Congo.