A Ugandan military spokesperson had revealed on Monday that almost 100 police officers from the Democratic Republic of Congo had escaped to neighbouring Uganda during the weekend as the conflict between M23 rebels and the military in Congo’s east worsened.
A regional spokesperson for the Uganda People’s Defence Forces, Major Kinconco Tabaro further revealed that the the officers had arrived via the Ishasha border crossing in Kanungu district in southwestern Uganda.
These officers numbering 98 had arrived with 43 guns and ammunition which were subsequently disarmed.
The M23 has been waging a fresh insurgency in Congo’s militia-populated east since 2022.
Going by a United Nations report published by Reuters in July, the Ugandan army had been providing support to the Tutsi-led rebel group, a charge the Ugandan government had since denied.
Efforts by the militiamen in Congo to push back the rebels have increased over the past year, with the officials using drones and aircraft, although the rebels have expanded territory under their control.
In June, the M23 commandeered a town , Kanyabatonga whose location on high ground makes it a coveted gateway to other parts of eastern Congo’s North Kivu province.
The North Kivu conflict has led to over 1.7 million people being driven from their homes, making the total number of Congolese displaced by multiple conflicts to a record 7.2 million, according to the estimation of the U.N.
