7 dead, four captured in border militia attacks

Dec 29, 2017

Residents in the border town of Mpondwe- Lhubiriha Town Council said they had heard heavy gunfire around the FARDC barracks on Thursday morning which lasted between 5:00am and 7:00am.

 

Seven Congolese militants and one Congolese army captain died in fighting between suspected Mai Mai and the armed forces for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) near the Uganda-DR Congo border with Kasese on Thursday morning.

The dawn fighting broke out when the attackers, raided a FARDC military base at Kasindi, a few kilometres from the common border.

Confirming the incident to New Vision at the Mpondwe border post Thursday, a senior Congolese military liaison officer in charge of Beni sector, Major Chikito, said FARDC wounded and captured four of the attackers.

"We lost a captain, but our forces also wounded and captured four of the attackers," Major Chikito said.

Independence sources told New Vision that the attackers seized a Rocket-Propelled Grenade (RPG) and two submachine guns from the FARDC during the surprise raid.

The sources said the attackers, had earlier on Thursday afternoon, arrived at Kasindi Port aboard about 40 engine-driven boats, on the Western shores of Lake Edward, about six kiolmetres from Lhubiriha, a Congolese town near the border.

Residents in the border town of Mpondwe- Lhubiriha Town Council said they had heard heavy gunfire around the FARDC barracks on Thursday morning which lasted between 5:00am and 7:00 am.

Congolese flee fighting

Following the fighting, some of scared Congolese from Kasindi Port, mostly women and children fled into Uganda into Kamukumbi parish, Isango sub-county, Kasese district.

When New Vision arrived at in the area, the Congolese were gathered at Kamukumbi Primary School, where various district authorities, including district chairman, Col. Mawa Muhindo, the Rwenzori East Regional Police Commander and the LC 3 chairperson, George Sekalombi.

Narrating their ordeal, the attackers, dressed in black military fatigues and speaking kindande, a local dialect similar to Lukhonzo and armed with spears, machetes and four pistols, asked if there were any FARDC and UPDF soldiers around.

"They told us to leave if we wanted our lives and then vanished in the bushes," a source narrated.

They said some of their fellow residents had fled towards Kyavinyonge, a fish landing site, also on the western shore of Lake Edward.

The Kasese Deputy Resident District Commissioner, Aminadabu Muhindo, urged residents in the district to remain calm.

The army spokesperson for the Hima-Based 305 brigade, Favourite Rugumayo, said the army was in charge of the border.

"There is no insecurity that will befall you," Rugumayo said.

The attack on Kasindi comes hardly a week after the UPDF killed more than 100 Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) in long-range artillery and air raids on eight ADF bases in the Eringeti sector of the Congolese North Kivu Province.

According to the Defence spokesperson Brig Richard Karemire, the pre-emptive assault, conducted with approval by the Congolese government, followed intelligence reports that the rebels were planning to attack Uganda via Bundibugyo and Kasese districts.

Karemire said the ADF suffered heavy losses of their logistics stores and they had fled into disarray, pursued by FARDC.

 

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