Uganda has returned almost 100 Congolese police officers who fled across the border to escape fighting between M23 rebels and Congo’s military, a Ugandan military spokesperson said Friday.
Major Kiconco Tabaro said the officers’ national identities were confirmed before they were handed over to Congolese authorities, along with their weapons, ammunition and other arms.
The police had entered Uganda’s Kanungu district in the southwest, seeking refuge from the ongoing violence in eastern Congo. Tabaro said Uganda allowed them entry “as an act of humanity and in line with international law.”
The M23 rebel group has been waging a renewed insurgency in Congo’s militia-plagued east since 2022. In June, they seized the strategically important town of Kanyabayonga in North Kivu province.
Congo’s military has intensified efforts to push back the rebels over the past year, employing drones and aircraft. Despite these efforts, the M23 has expanded its territory.
The conflict has had a severe humanitarian impact. According to U.N. estimates, fighting in North Kivu has displaced more than 1.7 million people, contributing to a record total of 7.2 million displaced Congolese across the country due to various conflicts.
Tabaro noted that refugees continue to cross into Uganda to escape the violence in eastern Congo, underscoring the ongoing nature of the crisis.
