Uganda has returned nearly 100 Congolese police officers who crossed into Kanungu district, in southwestern Uganda, while fleeing violent clashes between M23 rebels and the Congolese military, a Ugandan military spokesperson confirmed on Friday.
In a statement, Major Kiconco Tabaro, spokesperson for the Ugandan military, said that the officers’ identities had been verified, and their entry into Uganda was permitted as a humanitarian gesture in adherence to international law.
The officers, along with their weapons, ammunition, and other arms, were officially handed back to the Democratic Republic of Congo, Major Tabaro added. Meanwhile, the flow of refugees fleeing the continued violence in eastern Congo across the Ugandan border shows no sign of abating.
Since 2022, the M23 has reignited its insurgency in eastern Congo, a region already rife with militia activity. In June, the group captured Kanyabayonga, a strategic town in North Kivu province, positioned on elevated terrain that serves as a key access point to other areas in the province.
Despite intensified efforts by Congo’s military—including the use of drones and aircraft—the rebels have steadily expanded the territory under their control.
The ongoing conflict in North Kivu has displaced over 1.7 million people, pushing the total number of internally displaced Congolese to a record 7.2 million, according to the United Nations.