Congolese Rebel Commander Arrested In Beni

Jun 13, 2001

A senior Congolese rebel Commander, Col. Gideon Kibonge, has been arrested and is detained in connection with the recent fighting in the northeastern Congolese town of Beni, sources have said.

A senior Congolese rebel Commander, Col. Gideon Kibonge, has been arrested and is detained in connection with the recent fighting in the northeastern Congolese town of Beni, sources have said. Emmy Allio reports that Kibonge is the defence minister of Jean Pierre Bemba's Congolese Liberation Front (CLF). He is also head of military intelligence in the Congolese Liberation Movement. Sources said Kibonge was arrested in Beni last week reportedly for "performing poorly" against Mbusa Nyamwisi's militia who resisted Bemba's attempt to disarm them. Other sources said Col. Kibonge was flown to Kampala from Beni. At least 50 people died in the three-day fighting which was halted when UPDF re-deployed in Beni. Sources said CLF officials accused Kibonge of behaving in "a manner that showed he sided with Mbusa militia." Bemba could not be reached for comment. Meanwhile, the RCD-Kisangani rebel group led by Prof. Wamba dia Wamba (pictured right) is asking for the unconditional release of 18 of their ministers and cadres detained in Bunia by the CLF. Ends

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});