Kisoro LC5 boss warns youth against joining M23 rebels

Abel Bizimana, the Kisoro LC5 boss has warned the youth against joining M23 rebel groups that he says are on their way back to Democratic Republic of Congo. He noted that he has been reliably informed that some youth in the district have already been recruited and more others are willing to join.

He said they (Kisoro youth) should leave ex-M23 issues alone and instead concentrate on income generating activities like farming and trade. "I am told that some youth in Kisoro have started joining the rebel groups. It's high time they started engaging in income generating activities, "said Bizimana.

His comments come following the recent interception of M23 ex-combatants in Kisoro by a joint operation between the army and Police. The arrested ex-fighters who had reportedly escaped from Bihanga barracks in Ibanda were later transported to Makenke army barracks in Mbarara.

Speaking to New Vision, Bizimana appealed to the security agencies to take Kisoro cases in special way urging that the district on top of being the tourism destination, it's prone to insecurity situations in the neighboring Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

On locals, Bizimana called for vigilance; saying that they should always report any suspicious characters in communities." They must watch out in the neighborhoods and report suspicious people for scrutiny by Police so that they control occurrence of crime," he stated.

He said more ex-M23 fighters are moving back from Rwanda to DR Congo through Mgahinga National Park and this has affected tourism. He said some guides can't take tourists through the park for fear of losing their lives to rebels.

He said Kisoro has introduced the screening of locals so that they eliminate illegal trespass in the district as well as fighting crime rates. He said some criminals have taken advantage of the current insecurity cases in the district to terrorise people.

The Kisoro RDC Shafiq Sekandi told New Vision that a week ago over 16 Congolese and Rwandese were arrested at Nyakabande Sub County in Kisoro in the night bus as they were heading to different parts of the country such as Mubende, Kiboga and Kampala without proper documents to justify them.