January 16, 2017•Update: January 16, 2017
By Godfrey Olukya
ARU, Democratic Republic of Congo
Authorities in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have today said said that the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) has stopped incursion of ex-rebels M23 on Congolese soil.
Congolese government spokesman Lambert Mende said Sunday in a statement that "As soon as they crossed the border line at Ishasha, they were harpooned by the defense and security forces. Some rebels have already been arrested.''
He said that the order was given to the security forces not to give chance M23 rebels to cause insecurity in the country.
He added on that on the diplomatic front, DRC has asked for explanations from Uganda about the M23 fighters who were living in camp on the Ugandan soil.
"Diplomatically, we are busy operating the verification mechanisms of the ICGLR, because Makenga, who commands those M23 fighters was registered as a refugee in Uganda and we ask our Ugandan neighbor how those fighters attacked from there," Lambert Mende said.
The March 23 Movement,(M23) was a rebel military group based in eastern areas of DRC, mainly operating in the province of North Kivuled by colonel Sultani Makenga.
They were most notorious in 2012 against the DRC government leading to the displacement of large numbers of people.
In 2013 the national army and the UN troops defeated the rebels leading to their leader and some fighters flee to Uganda from where they are now reportedly organizing attacks.
