M23 rebels advance towards Uganda border

M23 rebels are advancing on the Ishasha border in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), this publication has learnt.

The border is the last remaining uncaptured supply route linking Uganda to Goma City in DRC.

Congolese nationals fleeing fighting in DRC told the Monitor on Wednesday that the M23 rebels have captured Nyamilima Township and four other villages which are 19 kilometres away from the Ishasha border.

In an interview with the Monitor yesterday, the Kanungu Deputy Resident District Commissioner, Mr Gad Ahimbisibwe Rugaju, said: “We have received information that M23 rebels are advancing to capture Ishasha border on the Congo side and this has forced some Congolese nationals to flee into Kanungu District.”

He added: “We appeal to the local residents in the border communities to avoid hosting the fleeing refugees in their homes because they might be a security and a health threat.”

This comes days after the East African Community Regional Force announced that the rebels would withdraw from Rumagambo, Kisigari and Rugari towns, which had previously been captured by the rebels by yesterday.

By press time yesterday, it was not clear whether the rebels had withdrawn from the towns.

In June last year, the rebels captured Bunagana border town on the Congolese side. The rebels also captured the Kitagoma border town in October of the same year and later captured Rutshuru Township, a trade route between Ishasha border and Goma City.

Issue

This caused an acute shortage of basic commodities and rise of prices in Goma as trucks carrying goods to the city were unable to transport their goods.

On Wednesday, the US government urged the rebels to withdraw from the captured towns.

A statement by the spokesperson of US State Department Ned Price, stated: “We expect the UN-sanctioned March 23 Movement (M23) to withdraw to the locations specified in the November 23 Luanda communique, and we call for all armed groups, including M23, to cease all hostilities, lay down their weapons, and join the East African Community-led Nairobi Process consultations between the DRC government and armed groups.”

Mr Price was reacting to a United Nations report which stated that Rwanda was supporting the M23 rebels.

According to the report which was released last month, Rwanda’s army “engaged in military operations” against DRC’s military in the country’s troubled east.

In response, Mr Price said: “Noting the report’s clear evidence of Rwandan support to M23 and credible reports of grave human rights abuses by M23, we reiterate our call for Rwanda to cease all support to M23 and withdraw its troops from eastern DRC.”

The US also denounced the DRC army collaborating with armed groups such as the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), a Rwanda rebel group.   

DRC has accused Rwanda of supporting M23 rebels while the latter accused the former of supporting FDRL.