At least six hundred soldiers from the
Democratic of Congo had fled to neighboring
Uganda after suffering an embarrassing defeat at the hands of Tutsi
rebel fighters-The March 23 Movement. The army had launched an offensive attack
on Thursday to rout the rebels from the Virunga national park, a famous jungle
area home to most of the world's few remaining mountain gorillas but the army
was completely overrun by the rebels on Friday evening forcing them to flee to
neighboring Uganda.
An
eyewitness’ account has it that the army fled leaving behind their weapons,
ammunition and suppliers in the town
of Bunagana which is the rich mineral Kisoro District
The
Ugandan press confirmed this account by reporting that six hundred soldiers
from the DR Congo together with some sixty police from Uganda fled to Uganda on
Saturday morning from the border.
The M23
soldiers had integrated into the army under a 2009 peace deal but quit this
year over poor conditions and pay and have since been battling the national
army.
The
capture of Bunagana and control of the border with Uganda in this resource-rich
region is the most significant military accomplishment for the rebels so far.
Meanwhile, a latest report from the eastern Nord-Kivu
province has it that the rebels have seized control of another three key towns
of Rutshuru, Ntamugenga and Rubare giving them grounds as the push forward.
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