UPDF deploys heavily on Uganda Congo boarder

By Goodluck Musinguzi and Carol Natukunda

Ugandan security forces have deployed heavily on the eastern border with Congo, following heavy fighting between rebels and the Congo government forces.

By press time, business at the border town of Bunagana was at a standstill as traffic was not allowed to proceed beyond the border point. Only displaced civilians were allowed to enter Uganda.

Congo’s North Kivu province has been swept by violence since March, after hundreds of rebels defected from the army in support of a rebellious general, Bosco Ntaganda, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court for suspected war crimes.

Security agencies said the army was partnering with the counterterrorism Police unit to ensure that the violence does not spill into Uganda. By 8:00am, yesterday, heavily armed Ugandan security officials were patrolling a stretch of about 15km from Nteko, through Bwindi forest to Mugahinga National Park.

In Kisoro town, however, it was business as usual, although residents kept their ears glued to radio bulletins.

The rebels in Congo had by Friday seized the eastern town of Bunagana after days of heavy fighting.

According to agencies, a UN peacekeeper was killed and more than 2,000 refugees have crossed into Uganda the past few days.

Over 600 Congo government soldiers who fled to Uganda have been “disarmed”, according Major Charles Mukasa of 63rd Battalion.

“We have disarmed them and arrangements to move them to Kisoro district are under away tonight”.

Mukasa affirmed that UPDF was ready to defend the country, adding that they would not take anything for granted.

“Business is not going on until assessment is done by joint security agencies to ascertain safety of people.

The border will be closed for a while,” Mukasa said.

Sources also said they were watching out for Allied Democratic Forces and Interahamwe rebel groups not to use this opportunity to enter Uganda.

Both security minister Mukasa Mulira and army spokesperson Col. Felix Kulayigye could not be reached for comment as their phones were off.

The rebels risk dragging the vast, loosely governed central African state back into civil war. An official from the Uganda Red Cross said Uganda was consequently dealing with an upsurge in the number of refugees.

“It (the fighting) was only 40 metres away from our border so the people crossed to Uganda,” said Kevin Nabutuwa Busima, assistant director of disaster management for the Uganda Red Cross.

Nabutuwa said they received 1,765 new arrivals at the transit camp on Thursday and 500 new arrivals on Friday.

Congo President Joseph Kabila last week blamed the conflict on “dark forces, national and foreign” during a speech on national television. Kabila called off annual independence day celebrations on June 30 as a mark of respect for the victims who had suffered bloodshed.