RCD-ML restructures army

The Bunia-based Rassemblement congolais pour la democratie-Mouvement de liberation (RCD-ML) at the weekend announced a major restructuring in its army, the Armee populaire congolaise (APC), into battalions. “The APC should henceforth function better from the lowest ranks and the unit of reference will be the battalion,” rebel-controlled Bunia radio said. “The new philosophy is, above all, to build up a national army and not militia groups,” it quoted RCD-ML’s assistant defence commissioner Sova Luaka as saying. “An army with an increased combat capacity, starting with rebuilding the army from the lowest ranks at the battalion level.” “We have started new battalions and we are going up to the brigade level then to the high command,” he added. The APC has in the past month been dogged by divisionism which resulted in a rebel faction splintering off. This forced the Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF) to move in to restore calm. Leader of the RCD-ML, Ernest Wamba dia Wamba told IRIN last week that the rebellion was not “ethnically-motivated” but rather a “political problem” - officials fighting for leadership. Meanwhile, Uganda’s national political commissar James Wapakhabulo returned last week to Kampala from the RCD-ML’s headquarters in Bunia, after “shuttle diplomacy” efforts which regional analysts say Uganda has been carrying out to ensure the RCD-ML holds together. He told journalists he was confident of a better future for the RCD-ML movement and stressed Uganda’s determination to work with Wamba to end “disorder and insecurity by restoring a better understanding between him and the people”.