On Sunday evening, M23 rebels equipped with armored vehicles and advanced military equipment seized control of the Nyaruhanje border post in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This action has stopped movement into Congo. Reliable sources indicate that the M23 group also took over Congolese military barracks about four kilometers from the Ishasha border post in Kanungu, Uganda. The Congolese soldiers reportedly left the barracks without resistance.
The DRC has been plagued by fighting militias, including M23, for some time. The M23 has been advancing northwards towards the Oriental region, which includes a national park. In the last 24 hours, 114 armed Congolese police officers, along with 43 guns and other military equipment, crossed into Uganda and surrendered at the Ishasha border post. These officers, who also brought 35 dependents, are being handled according to international law guidelines.
The Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) has intensified surveillance at the Uganda-DRC border. Speaking to New Vision, UPDF 2nd Infantry Division Public Information Officer Kiconco Tabaro confirmed these developments. He said the refugees have been taken to transit centers at Nyakabande in Kisoro and Matanda in Kanungu district. The Office of the Prime Minister is coordinating with all stakeholders to ensure that Congolese civilians fleeing insecurity are handled as per international law requirements.
Tabaro reassured Ugandans that the situation on the Ugandan side is calm, with no incursion into Ugandan territory. The UPDF is working with district security committees to mobilize border communities and ensure thorough verification of fleeing Congolese civilians to prevent infiltration by hostile elements. He urged community leaders and civilians at the borders to remain vigilant, citing concerns about the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) potentially exploiting the situation. “The vigilance will help us deter cross-border insecurity. We have stepped up surveillance along Kisoro-Kanungu areas bordering the DRC,” Tabaro added.
Local sources report heightened fear among border communities in the districts of Kanungu and Kisoro. There are concerns that Congolese soldiers may regroup to fight back, potentially affecting Uganda. Some Ugandans have relatives in Congo who have sought refuge in areas such as Nyanga, Rukarara, Kihamba, and Kyeshero.
In the past 72 hours, over 2,040 Congolese refugees have arrived from areas including Katwiguru, Kiwanza, Binza, Kiseguro, Kiringa, Masisi, Mbwenza, Walungu, and Rutchuru. These areas are near the Uganda border, and the ongoing fighting has security implications for border communities and the region, as many armed groups are active in Eastern DRC.
On Saturday, M23 rebels took control of Nyamilima, a town in eastern DRC about 18 km from the Uganda border. The M23 fighters, who had been dormant for about a decade, launched an offensive in North Kivu province at the end of 2021 and have since seized large areas of territory. The rebels reportedly arrived in Nyamilima at around 3:00 pm (1300 GMT) without resistance.
The ongoing conflict between different armed groups and Congo forces in eastern DRC has led to an influx of refugees into Uganda, increasing threat levels for border communities and the region. Vulnerable groups, such as the elderly, the sick, pregnant women, and children, are particularly at risk from attacks, hunger, displacement, and loss of cultural values as fighting continues. Many of the registered refugees are among the most vulnerable members of the Congolese communities, complicating the humanitarian situation for border communities and the entire region. As fighting rages on, thousands of refugees have crossed through porous borders into Uganda, using routes such as Bunagana and Nteko in Kisoro, Kyeshero, and Ishasha in Kanungu, among other smaller, unofficial paths.
