By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Nearly 100 Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) police officers who fled across the border to Kanungu district in southwestern Uganda to escape gun battle between M23 rebels and Congo’s military have been handed over to their country, a Ugandan military spokesperson said Friday.
According to a statement, the national identities of the police officers had been established.
Authorities said they were allowed to enter the Ugandan territory as an act of humanity and in line with international law.
The officers were handed over along with their weapons, ammunition and other arms, the statement by Major Kiconco Tabaro, a Ugandan military spokesperson said.
Refugees have continued to flow over the Ugandan border to escape the ongoing violence in eastern Congo, the military spokesperson said.
Heritage Times HT reports that the March 23, often shortened for M23 rebel group has been waging a renewed insurgency in Congo’s eastern since 2022.
In June, the M23 seized the town of Kanyabayonga, which is on high ground making it a gateway to other parts of eastern Congo’s North Kivu province.
Efforts by Congo’s military to push back the rebels have intensified over the past year with the use of drones and aircraft, although the rebels have still expanded territory under their control.
According to UN estimate, fighting in North Kivu has driven more than 1.7 million people from their homes, taking the total number of Congolese displaced by multiple conflicts to a record 7.2 million.
President Félix Tshisekedi has repeatedly accused his Rwandan counterpart, Paul Kagame of backing the M23 rebels, an allegation Kigali has denied.
UN, US and other global powers have also accused Kigali of offering military supplies to the fighters largely made up of persons from Tutsi ethnic group of Kagame.
A United Nation’s report recently said the Ugandan army has provided support to the Tutsi-led rebel group, a charge Uganda denies.
