Aronda in Kinshasa

Nov 10, 2003

Army Commander Maj. Gen. Aronda Nyakairima is in Kinshasa for talks with the UN Mission for Congo (MONUC) officials and the UPDF command there over Ugandan rebels regrouping in Ituri region.

By Emmy Allio

Army Commander Maj. Gen. Aronda Nyakairima is in Kinshasa for talks with the UN Mission for Congo (MONUC) officials and the UPDF command there over Ugandan rebels regrouping in Ituri region.

Aronda will today meet DR Congo’s army chief Lt. Gen. Liwagga Mate and MONUC’s Gen. Montaga Diallo.

Sources said the meeting follows a confirmation by MONUC that the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) and the People’s Redemption Army rebels have camps in Ituri and North Kivu.

“I am going for this meeting because the issue of PRA in Congo is no longer a secret. I hope these issues are resolved,” Aronda said.

The meeting comes shortly after Presidents Yoweri Museveni and Joseph Kabila met in New York last week.

Defence minister Amama Mbabazi was also in Kinshasa last week to discuss the reports that the rebels were regrouping.

Sources said PRA rebels last Thursday fought alongside Congolese rebels, the Union for Patriotic Congolese (UPC), at the Lake Albert shore towns of Tchomia and Kasenyi, sources said.

A suspected Rwandan army officer commonly known in Bunia as Lt Sole along with 31 of UPC/PRA fighters were also seen, sources said.

The UPC/PRA were fighting to dislodge Chief Kawa Mandro’s Party for Unity and Safeguard of Integratists of Congo (PUSIC) from Tchomia and Kasenyi in the oil belt.

Congolese sources in Bunia said on Thursday, PRA forces led by one Lt. Kashilingi and Mugenyi and UPC forces led by Bosco Ntaganda, drove truckloads of troops southwards.

The sources said the PRA and UPC came from their bases in Centrali and Katoto along Bunia-Mahagi roads.

Kisembo said the attackers were heading to the Kasenyi town, 10km away, when their advance was halted by MONUC forces’ helicopters, armoured personnel carriers (APCs) and infantry.

On Wednesday, the UN peacekeeping mission in Congo denounced what it said was the obstruction of its efforts to verify allegations of the presence of Rwandan government forces in eastern areas of the country.

The declaration comes amid widespread media reports that significant numbers of Rwandan forces had entered Congo.

UPDF has deployed along the DRC borders with Bundibugyo and Kasese.

The new developments come at a time when Uganda and the DRC are trying to renew relations.

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