DRC: confused situation in Bunagana in the East after an offensive by M23 rebels

An M23 rebel in the Bunagana area in eastern DRC.

(Illustrative image) REUTERS/James Akena

Text by: RFI Follow

1 min

It is difficult to know exactly what is happening on Monday, June 13, 2022, in Bunagana, on the border between the DRC and Uganda.

Part of the city is controlled by fighters of the March 23 Movement (M23), according to local sources.

The day before, fighting was intense in the area.

Exchanges of fire lasted several hours, on several fronts.

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With our correspondent in Kinshasa

,

Since Monday morning,

heavily armed

The movement justifies its presence in the city by the fact, he says, that the regular army attacks its positions from this city.

The M23 has not specified whether it intends to settle there permanently, but says it is open to dialogue with the Congolese authorities.

For their part, nearly a hundred Congolese soldiers have crossed the border into Uganda since Sunday evening, confirms Félix Kulayigye, the Ugandan army spokesman.

According to the same source, they were installed in a UPDF barracks near the Bunagana border.

Other FARDC soldiers retreated to the surrounding hills.

The day before, until late,

.

What was at stake was control of the road leading to this strategic town of Bunagana.

The M23 had placed its men in certain places to prevent the advance of FARDC reinforcements which were to come from the Rumangabo military camp.

It was in this context that Major General Peter Cirimwami, commander of operational sector Sukola 2, nearly lost his life.

Near the locality of Chengerero, he and his men found themselves in an ambush which claimed the life of a member of his close guard, a major.

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