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| Africa Subsaharan |
| DR Congo troops 'flee into Uganda' after rebel clashes |
| 2012-07-07 |
| Some 600 Congolese soldiers have fled into Uganda, following clashes with rebels who have seized a border town. The Ugandan military said the fleeing troops had been disarmed. Ugandan army spokesman Capt Peter Mugisa says the 600 Congolese soldiers are in the custody of the Ugandan military. He told the News Agency that Dare Not be Named they fear being massacred by the rebels if they return. M23 rebels loyal to Bosco Ntaganda, who is wanted for war crimes by the International Criminal Court, took up arms in April. They defected from the army after pressure increased on the government to arrest Gen Ntaganda, when one of his former colleagues was convicted of recruiting child soldiers by the ICC. As the rebels took control of the Democratic Republic of Congo side of the town of Bunagana, an Indian peacekeeper was killed, the UN says. A recent UN report has accused Rwanda of backing the rebels - Gen Ntaganda is an ethnic Tutsi, like the majority of Rwanda's leadership. But Rwanda has vehemently denied the accusations. Rwanda has twice invaded its much larger neighbour, saying it was trying to take action against Hutu rebels based in DR Congo. Uganda also sent troops into DR Congo during the 1997-2003 conflict. |
| Posted by:Pappy |