Government denies pillaging minerals in the DRC

The Ugandan government on Wednesday denied claims of pillaging minerals in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Uganda's semi-official 'New Vision' newspaper reported. First Deputy Prime Minister Eriya Kategaya dismissed allegations that Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF) was in the DRC for "mineral extraction", telling parliament that the President could not deploy forces "merely to loot minerals." Kategaya said Uganda's involvement was to secure "a stable DRC to make sure no one uses the territory against Uganda," adding that his country would stay there "until the mission is achieved." DRC fighting brings government under pressure in parliament The nature and seriousness of the clashes between Ugandan and Rwandan troops in Kisangani drew heavy criticism in parliament and questions as to whether the government was, in the circumstances, considering the legality of its armed presence in DRC or a withdrawal of its troops. Members of parliament wondered at what human cost Uganda was prepared to remain in DRC and demanded to know casualty figures from the Kisangani trouble, the 'Monitor' newspaper reported. The 'New Vision' also reported that a parliamentary committee on Tuesday asked State Minister for Defence Steven Kavuma "to prevail on" President Yoweri Museveni to give a "state of the nation address" on the DRC situation while legislators vowed not the pass the "huge defence budget" if Kavuma did not specify what the money was going to be spent on. Kavuma had reportedly requested 177 billion Ugandan shillings.