The United Nations Panel of Experts has revealed that Uganda is clandestinely offering support to the March 23 Movement (M23) which is currently engaged in an allout war against the DRC troops in Eastern part of the country.
The panel of experts also accuse Andrew Mwenda a Ugandan veteran journalist for operating as an interlocutor in Kampala for the rebels.
“As a journalist, newspaper columnist, radio talk show host, television show panelist, social media personality and owner of a media company, I was interested. My work and opinions require collection of information from primary sources. I talk to people of all backgrounds to inform myself. I was therefore, most keen to talk to M23 leaders to hear their stories,” Mwenda was quoted by a local Ugandan daily (Monitor) in reaction to the revelations by UN Panel of experts.
Mwenda added, “I met them around March 11 at my office. They included Lawrence Kanyuka, Desire Rwigyema and a third person whose name I cannot remember. I had always thought M23 was an ethnic militia of Tutsi of Eastern DRC. To my surprise, Kanyuka told me he is from the Luba ethnic group, Just like President Feli Tshisekedi. They gave me a list of their leaders, political and military, most of whom were not Tutsi. infact one of them is a Hutu Congolese. I was shocked.”
In 2022, a UN panel of experts and Congolese intelligence services suspected Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF) of having “facilitated” M23 movements on its territory.
With the accusation, a group of Congolese parliamentarians and civil society activists petitioned President Felix Tshisekedi to sever diplomatic relations with Uganda.
They also called for termination of FARDC-UPDF joint military operation code-named Operation Shuja that aimed to neutralise the Ugandan ADF rebels with bases in jungles of DRC.
“The allegations are false. That is hogwash, rubbish! There is no iota of evidence,” said Henry Oryem Okello State Minister for International Relations.
“Those (accusers) are attention seekers. They should do some research and bring evidence … Uganda doesn’t support M23 (rebels). Uganda is seeking total peace in eastern DRC,” added Okello.
These accusations come at a time, President Félix Tshisekedi has been pushing for the complete withdrawal of the UN mission, MONUSCO, by the end of 2024.
Monusco peacekeepers have been operating in DRC for almost 20 years but have failed to protect civilians nor neutralising the rebels.
About The Author
Related posts:
KENYA : visi Perezida yasabiye ukuriye ubutasi bw’iki gihugu kweguzwa mu maguru mashya
Joe Biden yavuze ko adateze na rimwe gusubika ibikorwa byo kwiyamamaza
Musanze: Site zitorerwaho zarimbishijwe mu buryo abaturage babigereranya n’umuteguro w’ubukwe
Ubwongereza bwari bwateganyije miliyari 12.9 zama Pawundi (pound) muri gahunda yo kohereza abimukira mu Rwanda
DRC: Bahala nyuma yo kuva mu mishyikirano ya M23 yahise atabwa muri yombi
Dore Ibihugu 10 Bifite Igisirikare Gikomeye Kurusha Ibindi ku Isi
Donald Trump natsinda amatora Koreya ya ruguru yiteguye kugirana nawe ibiganiro kuntwaro za kirimbuzi
The last hours of the despised despot Sheikh Hasina
