The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kinshasa, DRC | Xinhua & URN | The Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) said Tuesday that it had dismantled a network of Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels, who were responsible for several bomb attacks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)’s northeastern North Kivu province.
At least 22 people, most of them identified as ADF members, have been arrested for their alleged participation in “insurrectionary movement and other crimes”, said Anthony Mualushayi, spokesman for the FARDC in the Beni region of the province.
Since the beginning of this year, the ADF rebels, an affiliate of the Islamic State in central Africa, have launched several attacks in the Beni region.
At least 10 people were killed in an improvised explosive device attack earlier this year by the ADF rebels in Kasindi.
The eastern part of the DRC has been troubled for decades by multiple militia groups, in particular rebels of the ADF and those of the March 23 Movement.
Meanwhile, fighting between Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDR) soldiers, militia coalition, and the March 23 Movement (M23) rebels in North Kivu province has resumed.
On Tuesday, M23 through its political spokesperson, Lawrence Kanyuka released a statement announcing a ceasefire from all fronts to pave way for the political process to take place. According to the statement, the decision had been reached in fulfillment of outcomes of consultations between M23 and João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, President of Angola, and the decisions taken in different regional summits held in Bujumbura, Nairobi, and Addis Ababa aimed at finding peaceful solutions to ongoing conflicts in eastern DR Congo.
However, in the evening, fighting erupted in Karuba along the Kiburizi-Rwindi roads and Mabenga-Rwindi bridge road in the Chiefdom of Bahunde West of Sake in Masisi territory.
Fighting was also reported in the locality of Kabirizi, Rutshuru territory. Fighting in Kabirizi forced civilians in areas of Kabanda, Kirima, Bwalanda, Kikuku, Kyaghanda, and Birundule to flee to Kanyabayonga in Rubero territory.
On Wednesday, fighting again resumed in Nkingo specifically at Ngingwe, a hill overlooking the village Kirotshe-Kitumbili in Bahunde chiefdom, Masisi territory.
M23 spokesperson released a short statement accusing M23 and the militia coalition of flouting the ceasefire and efforts of regional leaders and international partners to find peace in eastern DR Congo.
“Kinshasa government coalition forces attacked our forces in Kuriba and Nkingo this morning at 06:18. Kinshasa government flouts efforts by regional leaders and international partners to find peace in eastern DRC”, Kanyuka noted in the statement.
But, Lieutenant Colonel Guillaume Ndjike Kaiko, the FARDC Spokesperson in charge of North Kivu province also released a statement accusing M23 rebels of launching multiple attacks on FARDC positions. Kaiko says that there is no cease-fire when rebels are fighting.
Kakio accuses M23 of firing several 120-millimeter mortar bombs at the city of Sake, two of which were aimed precisely at the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) base in Mubambiro, two at the cantonment of the Burundian contingent recently deployed in part of the East African Community Regional Force as well as four others in the densely populated city surrounding Mubambiro.
Kaiko says that the attack led to the death of three people, two of them on the spot and another in hospital; seven people were seriously injured, six of whom are currently admitted at the Ndosho Hospital and one at the Goma General Reference Hospital.
Fighting between M23 rebels and FARDC soldiers that started in March 2022 has left many parts of Rutshuru, Masisi, and Nyiragongo territories including Uganda-DR Congo in the hands of the rebels. Congo accuses Rwanda of backing the rebels, a claim Rwanda and the rebels deny.
The rebels claim to fight against bad leadership in DR Congo based on corruption, xenophobia, and discrimination among other messes. ■
