Manhunt for militiamen continues

Rwandan and Ugandan forces today (Thursday) continued a manhunt in the northeast of the DRC for the Rwandan Interahamwe militiamen who hacked to death 12 persons - four Ugandans and eight foreign tourists - earlier this week. According to Uganda’s state-owned ‘New Vision’ newspaper, 15 of the Interahamwe (‘Those who fight together’ in Kinyarwanda) were killed Tuesday by Ugandan troops in Nyabwishenya, near the location in Bwindi National Forest in south-western Uganda where the atrocities were committed. The DRC rebels of the Rassemblement congolais pour la democratie (RCD) told AFP they needed help to control the Virunga National Park just across the border from Bwindi. “We sent troops and intelligence agents to the Virunga Volcanic National Park where the Rwandan Hutu Interahamwe militiamen and soldiers from the ex-Rwandan Armed Forces (FAR) are found,” AFP quoted RCD leader Ernest Wamba dia Wamba as saying. “But unfortunately we do not have enough (men).” Wamba said an estimated 15,000 Interahamwe were in the area and were trying to go back to Rwanda. The DRC government, which is reported to be supported by the Interahamwe, expressed regret at the atrocities. Deputy Foreign Minister David Mbwankiem said yesterday (Wednesday) on state-owned radio in Kinshasa that the Congolese government was “deeply concerned about this new attempt to destabilise the Great Lakes region”. He called for an international investigation to “identify those who perpetrated the odious act”. However, the DRC government rejected any responsibility for the attack, saying that it occurred “about 20 km from the DRC border illegally occupied and currently under the control of the Ugandan-Rwandan armed forces”. OAU Secretary-General Salim Ahmed Salim today condemned the killings. Meanwhile, the United States has sent FBI agents to help with the investigation into the incident. Two arrived Tuesday in Kampala and others were expected soon, according to Reuters.