Congo Troops Battle LRA Rebels
Congolese forces, FARDC, have stepped up military operations against remnants of the rebel Lords’ Resistance Army (LRA) and other militia groups in the volatile Congo.
By 05/06/2013 – http://chimpreports.com
FARDC is being supported by MONUSCO.
The United Nations peacekeeping body on Wednesday reported that sporadic activities by remnants of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) were still active in the Garamba National Park.
The joint MONUSCO, FARDC operation called « Rudia II » (Back II) launched on 27 April 2009, in order to neutralize the LRA elements involved in atrocities against the civilian population living in the districts of Upper and Lower Uele and ensure their protection, continued during the period under review against the remnants of the rebellion still active in these areas.
“In addition, the joint operation of UN and Congolese forces called « Welcome to Peace » to encourage in the Dungu area the LRA elements to surrender voluntarily to the DDRRR Section continues normally,” MONUSCO said in a statement today.
Human rights groups on Monday released a multimedia report and video documenting new evidence that LRA has turned to elephant poaching as a means to fuel its atrocities.
The scattered rebels are no longer perceived as a national security threat to Uganda.
UPDF intelligence squads have for the last three years been hunting down the LRA remnants in DRC and Central African Republic.
Meanwhile, since May 5, MONUSCO and FARDC continued operations in the province of tracking and neutralizing the LRA rebels reported in the area of responsibility of the Ituri Brigade of MONUSCO, under the joint operation « Chuma Ngumi » (Iron Fist) .
“The security situation in Ituri remains tense in southern Irumu where militiamen Patriotic Resistance Front in Ituri (FRPI) still represent a threat to the security of civilian populations,” the statement further read.
The operation launched since April 30, 2013 by MONUSCO and FARDC in Operation « Eagle Claw » (the eagle’s talons), to eradicate militia FRPI territory South Irumu and to facilitate the redeployment of FARDC troops in order to extend the authority of the State, and effective protection of civilians, also continued unimpeded last week.
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