President Yoweri Museveni has ordered the Chief of Defence Forces, Gen Katumba Wamala to dispatch 1,000 heavily-armed soldiers and armored tanks to the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo after bombs from areas controlled by the Congolese army struck Kisoro Town on Monday.
Several people were admitted with broken arms and limbs at Kisoro Referral Hospital in today’s attack as hundreds fled the town.
UPDF spokesperson, Lt Col Paddy Ankunda confirmed the deployment. “We are very concerned about the bombings of our territory. This is the second time in less than two weeks that people of Kisoro are bearing the brunt of rockets from Congo,” said Ankunda.
“If the shelling doesn’t stop, whoever is responsible will be punished,” he added. “Our focus is to make sure our borders and people with their property are secure. We have to protect people from being shelled. Our people are becoming statistics.”
This is the latest sign from Uganda that it would not hesitate to respond to the DRC forces’ provocations. President Museveni has been spearheading the peace talks between rebel M23 Movement and DRC government in Kampala.
Hundreds of Congolese refugees continue to pour in Uganda and Rwanda, fleeing the latest resumption of fighting between FARDC and M23.
The DRC government has consistently rejected regional leaders’ resolutions that the crisis in eastern Congo be solved politically. With support from Tanzania and South Africa, DRC forces on Monday attacked the rebel positions especially in Bunagana and Tchegerero.
Sources in the army said the artillery units of UPDF have been directed to create a secure zone at the border to “stop all forces in DRC from attacking Ugandan territory.”
Asked whether Ugandan forces would cross to DRC in the coming days, Ankunda said “we don’t discuss our military tactics with press.” This is not the first time DRC forces are bombing Uganda. Last week, over 20 people were injured in the attacks.
UPDF said it would investigate circumstances under which the explosives hit Kisoro.
Chimpreports.com
