Emily Doe, World Food Program (WFP) Health Officer in Charge of South Western Uganda says that the influx of refugees happened at a time when humanitarian departments were not prepared due to many tasks across the country and outside Uganda.
Heavy fighting broke out around 03:00 am Wednesday after FARDAC soldiers launched an offensive against rebel positions in Bugusa. General Sylvain Ekenge, the Spokesman for the North Kivu governor confirmed the attack against the M23 positions.
The statement indicates that the M23 movement intends to hand over all the FARDC soldiers captured on the frontline to the International Committee of the Red Cross for the appropriate care.
Daniel Kisamo, Settlement Commandant Department of Refugees in the office of the Prime Minister, says that they were surprised to see the Congolese who had crossed back to their country fleeing back to Uganda on Sunday evening citing the tense situation in Rutshuru.
The MONUSCO helicopter was brought down during a reconnaissance mission in the area of Tchanzu and Runyoni, Rutshuru territory killing eight people on board. Some of the dead are Lt Col Asif Ali Awan, Maj Saad Nomani, Maj Faizan Ali, Naib Subedar Samiullak Khan, Havaldar Muhammad Ismail and Lance Corporal Havaldar Muhamad Jamil, all Pakistan soldiers.
DRC is a vast country with a lot of mineral resources especially abundant deposits of copper, gold, cobalt, uranium, Colton and oil among others. However, the country has been at the center of various wars, which have led to death of hundreds of people.
In January this year, the DRC government rose up in protest after it emerged that hundreds of M23 rebels led by their commander General Makenga Sultan had escaped from Uganda and returned to their bases in Eastern DRC.
The Ex-combatants sought refuge in districts neighboring the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2013 after a ceasefire agreement that ended their activities and control in Goma. About 300 of them are hosted at Bihanga Military Training School in Ibanda district.
Kabale Chief Magistrate, Moses Kagoda Ntende adjourned the hearing to April 25th to allow Muhangi to prepare for the case. He further remanded the suspects to Ndorwa government prison.
The deceased, identified as Lance Corporal David Ochuna and the injured, private John Jackie Kusuba attached to the UPDF 63 Battalion barracks, were shot as the army and game rangers exchanged gunfire with the rebels.
Expedito Byensi, the Nyakabande Sub County representative, faulted the speaker for adjourning the council meeting prematurely, saying they wanted a written apology from the Chairperson.
Bizimanas troubles stem from recent media statements in which he mentioned that councilors in Kisoro district local government were collaborators of the M23, a rebel movement whose ex-combatants had sought refuge in districts neighboring the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Forty two men believed to be members of the M23 rebel group have been arrested in Kisoro district amidst reports that fighting has resumed in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo DRC.
Hajji Shafique Ssekandi, the Kisoro Resident District Commissioner says that the arrested ex-combatants, detained at Kisoro Police Station, are part of the 750 that recently escaped from Bihanga Military Training School in Ibanda District.
M23 ex-combatants have threatened to return to war accusing the government in the Democratic Republic of Congo DRC of failing to honour the December 2013 peace agreement.
A total of 750 former M23 rebel combatants are missing from Bihanga Military Training School in Ibanda district where they were taken for demobilisation.
Hajji Shafique Ssekandi, the Kisoro Resident District Commissioner, says the rebels are being held together with their colleagues at Kisoro Police Station as investigations continue. He says the fighters will be relocated to Bihanga Military Training School today.
A group of M23 former combatants who were intercepted on their way to the Congo border have been sent back to Bihanga military training school in Ibanda district.
