Rwanda and Uganda express concern over government “offensive”

“The situation is worrying,” Rwandan presidential adviser on the Great Lakes, Patrick Mazimhaka told IRIN on Wednesday. “The [President Laurent-Desire] Kabila government has launched an offensive in the northwest and the Rwandan government fully backs the efforts of the [rebel] Mouvement de liberation du Congo (MLC) to defend its territory.” Mazimhaka also claimed Kabila “is making moves in the southern sector around Kabinda and Kabalo”. “Our troops are on the ground,” he declared.

The Ugandan government echoed Rwanda’s position on the fighting in the northwest. “It is very clear Kabila has launched an offensive by taking over Dongo and Imese towns held by the MLC before the signing of the Lusaka agreement,” army spokesman Major Phineas Katirima said. “We support all the efforts being made by the MLC to recover their positions.” He said as far as Uganda was concerned, its troops would remain in defensive positions until they came under attack. “We do not want to copy Kabila in violating the ceasefire,” he added.