NEW WAVE OF REFUGEES ARRIVES AS FRESH FIGHTING ERUPTS IN DRC

By Kweronda Ambrose
KISORO

Fresh fighting between the M23 rebels and Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) has broken out
According to Haji Shafiq Sekandi Sengooba, the Resident district commissioner Kisoro, fresh fighting erupted yesterday in areas of Bukima and Kabaye a few kilometres from Rumangabo, a FARDC military base located in Rutshuru Territory, north of Goma in Nord Kivu province, 3.5 kilometres.
Sengooba says the fighting forced 397 Congolese to flee into Uganda and that they were received at Nyakabande Transit Centre through Bunagana one stop border.
He said that among the received Congolese, 112 were new arrivals while 285 were once manually registered at the holding centre, moved back to their Country of Origin and returned to the holding centre yesterday.
He also said that atotal population at the holding area and Transit centre is 17,308 individuals among which 1,723 are at the Transit centre and 15,585 at the holding centre.
He added that the cumulative number of asylum seekers manually registered from 28th March 2022 is 41,426 individuals of 21,381 Households.
He noted that 434 COVID-19 tests were conducted and among them, 116 were new arrivals and 318 for relocation and 06 among for the relocation tested positive and that the cumulative number of tests for the new arrivals and positive cases since the 28thof March 2022 is 32,195 and 639 respectively. He revealed that 16 COVID 19 active cases were in isolation by the end of yesterday.