According to a Ugandan military spokesperson, nearly 100 police officers from the Democratic Republic of Congo fled to Uganda over the weekend amid intensified fighting between M23 rebels and the Congolese military. The Ugandan spokesperson, Major Kiconco Tabaro, stated that the Congolese officers arrived via the Ishasha border crossing in southwest Uganda carrying 43 guns and ammunition. The officers cited violence and hunger as reasons for their flight. Major Tabaro further revealed that at least 2,500 Congolese refugees have also fled to Uganda over the past four days, including pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and young children. Like the police officers, they were fleeing the intensifying violence between Congolese forces and the M23 rebel forces. Meanwhile, a UN report leaked last month accused Uganda of backing the M23 forces, alongside neighboring Rwanda. Both countries deny involvement in the conflict.
SOURCE: EAST AFRICAN
