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The Democratic Republic of Congo will allow armed forces from neighbouring Uganda to enter its territory to chase rebels blamed for massacres in the region, sources told AFP on Sunday.
The deadliest of scores of armed groups operating in the mineral-rich eastern DR Congo, the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) has been blamed for dozens of attacks.
“President (Felix) Tshisekedi has already raised the option of allowing Ugandan troops to enter Congolese territory to chase ADF terrorists together with” UN troops, a presidential adviser told AFP on condition of anonymity.
“But Ugandan troops will not cross the border tonight or tomorrow. All procedures must first be respected, especially with respect to parliament and the DR Congo military command,” he said.
Antipas Mbusa Nyamuisi, a local spokesman for the Nande ethnic group, told AFP the Uganda People’s Defence Force was given the “formal” green light to hunt down ADF fighters on Congolese soil.
A European diplomat confirmed the news, telling AFP: “We have been informed via our regular channels that President Tshisekedi has authorised Ugandan troops to cross the border to fight the ADF.”
According to two diplomatic sources in Kampala, Ugandan forces are already preparing to deploy in the eastern DRC to fight the ADF.
Popular support
“Congolese and Ugandan officers are already working every day under the Joint Operations Centre set up for intelligence exchange,” a Congolese government source told AFP.
“We are happy because President Felix Tshisekedi has kept his word, listening to the point of view of more than 80 percent of the population of Beni and its environs, direct victims of the ADF’s exactions and massacres,” he said, adding that the operation would be only a “temporary” response.
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Source : france24
