Informed sources in contact with Aketi in Province Orientale told IRIN the town was seized by Ugandan soldiers in early November after three days of heavy fighting with Kinshasa-allied Chadian troops. This contradicts earlier claims made by Jean-Pierre Bemba that his Mouvement de liberation congolais (MLC) rebel faction had taken Aketi. The sources said that Bemba, who had been staying in rebel-held Kisangani since 29 September, was flown to Aketi in a Ugandan army helicopter two days after it was captured. The sources added that Ugandan soldiers played the major role in the rebel capture of several other towns in the region, including Banalia on 7 September, Isiro on 20 September and Dulia on 29 October.
This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions
