58 M23 REBELS ARRESTED IN MBARARA ON ROUTE TO DRC TO CAUSE MAYHEM

BY OKOODI DEO

IN MBARARA——

The security in Mbarara is holding 58 former M23 rebels and 30 refugees who were last night intercepted on Ibanda-Mbarara and Mbarara-Kabale road.
The UPDF Second division Spokesperson Captain Arthur Timbaganya while parading this group at Makenke barracks in Mbarara said they were arrested travelling in four omnibus vehicles to the yet to be identified destination.
He said three of these vehicles were intercepted at mile 4 towards Mbarara town while the other in Muhanga in Kabale district.
Captain Timbaganya said refugees who includ 11 children are from Rwamwanja refugee resettlement camp while the M23 are part of the group that have been staying at Bihanga Military training barracks in Ibanda district.
He said the group including drtivers of the said vehicles they were travelling in are being detained at Makenke barracks and that authorities determine thier fate after involving other key stakeholders like the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the DRC government.
He said they leant of these peoples movements and sneaking out of their gazette places through their military and local intelligence.
The M23 rebels have been confined  at Bihanga Military training barracks in Ibanda district in agreement and protocol signed between Uganda and DRC.
In another development, leaders in Kisoro district have blamed former M23 combatants for fueling insecurity in the region.
They claim many guns have so far been smuggled into the country by M23 and are being used to gun down people. At least seven guns were intercepted recently as unknown people tried to sneak them into the country through Bunagana border in Kisoro distric