Amidst escalating fighting, about 100 Congolese police officers fled to Uganda

Amidst escalating hostilities between M23 rebels and the Congolese military, over 100 police officers have fled their homeland to Uganda.

As fighting between M23 rebels and the Congolese military in the eastern DRC escalated over the weekend, about 100 police officers from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) escaped to neighboring Uganda. The officers’ arrival was confirmed on Monday by Major Kiconco Tabaro, the Uganda People’s Defence Forces’ regional spokesperson.

The officers carried forty-three firearms and ammo when they entered Uganda through the Kanungu district border with Ishasha. They were escaping combat with the M23, other militias, and the military of the Congo. In addition to hunger, there’s a lot of violence there, Tabaro said. When the officers arrived, they were then disarmed.

Over the course of the last four days, at least 2,500 Congolese refugees have entered Uganda due to the escalating violence, in addition to the police personnel. Pregnant women, nursing moms, and small children were among the refugees who fled due to increasing levels of violence and instability.

In 2022, the M23 rebel organization began a new war in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Uganda disputes allegations made in a recent United Nations report that the army has supported the rebel group commanded by Tutsis. Also, Rwanda has been charged by the UN with supporting the M23, which has repeatedly taken control of sizable portions of the mineral-rich eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. These accusations have been constantly refuted by Rwanda.

Over the past year, the Congolese military has increased its use of aircraft and drones in its efforts to quell the rebels. In spite of these endeavors, the M23 has persisted in extending its domain. The strategically significant town of Kanyabayonga, located in North Kivu province and serving as a gateway to other parts of the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, was taken over by the rebels in June.

U.N. estimates place the number of internally displaced people in the DRC at 7.2 million, with over 1.7 million of those displacements coming from the ongoing fighting in North Kivu. The war doesn’t seem to be stopping, and the humanitarian crisis keeps getting worse.