Uganda Returns Congolese Police Amidst Escalating M23 Conflict

Uganda handed over nearly 100 Congolese police officers, who fled to its Kanungu district to escape fighting between M23 rebels and Congo's military. The officers were returned with their weapons, as Uganda followed international law. Ongoing violence in eastern Congo has displaced over 1.7 million people.

Uganda handed over almost 100 Congolese police officers who had fled across the border to Kanungu district in southwestern Uganda to escape fighting between M23 rebels and Congo's military, a Ugandan military spokesperson said Friday. The officers' national identities had been confirmed, and they were allowed entry as an act of humanity and in line with international law.

According to Major Kiconco Tabaro, a Ugandan military spokesperson, the officers were handed over with their weapons, ammunition, and other arms. Tabaro cited ongoing refugee flows into Uganda due to the violence in eastern Congo, where the M23 has renewed its insurgency since 2022. The rebels seized the town of Kanyabayonga in June, a strategic location in North Kivu province.

Congo's military efforts to counter the rebels have intensified, utilizing drones and aircraft, but the M23 has expanded its control. More than 1.7 million people have been displaced in North Kivu, bringing the total number affected by multiple conflicts in Congo to a record 7.2 million, U.N. estimates state.

(With inputs from agencies.)