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UPDF, Rwanda soldiers clash
The UPDF [Uganda Peoples Defense Force] on Saturday, clashed with soldiers suspected to be members of the Rwanda Defence Forces (RDF), who where crossing to Eastern Congo via Bunagana border post, military sources have said. A senior military officer who preferred anonymity, told The Monitor on Saturday, that UPDF soldiers who were on routine patrol in Kisoro, battled the suspected Rwandan troops on the foothills of Mountain Muhavura for two hours. Military sources said RDF was crossing to Congo at around 11am when UPDF's 17th battalion tried to intercept them from using Uganda territory. "We engaged them for some good hours and they sustained injuries. We managed to capture four SMGs and unspecified amount of ammunition," a UPDF officer said. The Commander of the 17th battalion, Capt. Jingo, could neither deny nor confirm the clash.The Defence and Military spokesman, Maj. Shaban Bantariza, yesterday said it was still too early to confirm whether they were Rwandan forces. "Yes, we battled a roaming force in the district of Kisoro which was moving towards Ugandan territory. But we are still verifying whether they were Rwandan troops or Congolese rebels of the RCD-Goma," Bantariza said by phone yesterday. RCD-Goma is a Rwanda-backed Congolese rebel group. At Bunagana, Uganda, Rwanda and DRC share a common border. Local authorities in Kisoro said the fighting had led to an influx of hundreds of Congolese refugees, who were by last evening, camped at Bunagana primary school. Eyewitnesses at the border sub county of Nyarusiza told The Monitor that hundreds of heavily armed soldiers have been crossing Bunagana border from the Rwanda side into the DRC since last week. A source at Kisoro Police said that the "strange troops" first encountered Ugandan Administrative Police Patrol and "refused to identify themselves." The police informed the UPDF which mounted border patrols, mid last week. Rwanda's Army Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Charles Kayonga, declined to comment on the issue. Rwanda has denied deploying its troops in the Congo as the UN monitor body Monuc claims, mounting evidence of Rwandan troops in Congo. Posted by: Fred 2004-12-05 |
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