UPDF Fights Interahamwe

BUNUGANA, DR Congo - Ugandan troops this week fought Rwandan Hutu Interahamwe militia close to the border between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a senior Rwandan army officer said on Friday. The Interahamwe, held largely responsible for the 1994 genocide of up to 800,000 people in Rwanda, on Wednesday crossed into Ugandan territory on a looting spree and were driven back by Ugandan troops, the source said. The UPDF spokesman, Lt. Col. Phinehas Katirima, yesterday confirmed the incident but down-played its significance. "It is true suspected interahamwe militias clashed with local defence forces in the area. One of the local defence forces was injured but there is nothing to worry about," Katirima said. The clash took place at Kisoro in the volcanic Virunga highlands on the DRC border with both countries. Many Interahamwe are based in the Virunga. Ends