Tension in Kisangani

The Rwandan-backed Rassemblement congolais pour la democratie (RCD) has expressed its concern and annoyance at an alleged Ugandan military build-up in and around Kisangani, in a manner it claims is reminiscent of what preceded the August 1999 clashes between the Ugandan People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) and the Rwandan Patriotic Army (RPA). The RCD claimed that, since the recent reshuffle in the UPDF command, the Ugandan army had reoccupied a military camp at Kapalata, in a position outside the terms of the Kabale agreement intended to resolve such tensions, and increased its presence in Kisangani town by two battalions, Radio Rwanda reported.

RCD-Goma claimed a joint Rwandan-Ugandan military committee had stalled, and that hate pamphlets were being distributed by both elements of the Ugandan army and the RCD-Mouvement de liberation (RCD-ML), the report added. There had been increased tension in Kisangani of late, as inter-factional rivalry and defections became more evident, but there was no clear evidence of a military build-up, military sources told IRIN on Monday.