50 militiamen killed as DRC Army stay behind to curb rebel attack against Rwanda
The DRC army announced on Monday, February 4th a mid-term assessment of 50 militiamen killed in a month during operations against armed groups in the territory of Masisi (North Kivu).
The Congolese armed forces also announced last January the deaths of ten FDLR combatants in this region.
About 30 weapons are recovered and 28 combatants have been handed over to the MONUSCO Demobilization service, the army spokesman said.
“We have neutralized about 50 elements of all armed groups. I am talking about APCLS, Nduma Defense of Congo, CNRD, FOCA and Nyatura. We recovered thirty weapons and all calibers. In terms of the international humanitarian law, we have recovered 28 dependents of the armed groups that we handed over to MONUSCO through the DDRRR but also we handed over to this structure another minor combatant, “said Major Guillaume Ndjike Kaiko, Head of Operation Sokola 2 in North Kivu.
Military operations against armed groups in Masisi territory recall the correspondence of Defense Minister Crispin Atama to MONUSCO boss Leila Zerrougui who spoke of the displacement of FDLR (Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda) fighters from Masisi to South Kivu to form a coalition to attack Rwanda from the DRC.
Mr. Atama thus requested the support of the UN mission forces to the FARDC to counteract the “macabre project”.
But TOPAFRICANEWS has learnt that MONUSCO excludes any armed attack against these FDLR who according to Zerrougui are accompanied by “families and children” but privileges the option of disarmament.
