UPDF Intensifies Border Security in Kisoro, Kanungu After Prison Break in Goma

Summary:

Major Kiconco Tabaro, the UPDF 2nd Infantry Division Public Information Officer, stated on Friday that intelligence reports indicate some Ugandan nationals serving short- and long-term sentences at Munzenze Prison in Goma escaped during the jailbreak.

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KISORO: The Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF) has heightened security at the borders neighboring the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in Kisoro and Kanungu districts following a mass prison break in Goma after the city’s capture by March 23 (M23) rebels on Monday.

Major Kiconco Tabaro, the UPDF 2nd Infantry Division Public Information Officer, stated on Friday that intelligence reports indicate some Ugandan nationals serving short- and long-term sentences at Munzenze Prison in Goma escaped during the jailbreak.

Maj. Tabaro noted that some of the escapees could be criminals, including suspected Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) operatives wanted in Uganda. He urged heightened vigilance to prevent possible infiltration by ADF elements.

CUE IN MAJ. TABARO…..ON PRISON RELEASE……LUG/ENG//

He reassured the public that normal activities in Kisoro District—including tourism, farming, and local trade remain unaffected by the ongoing conflict between M23 rebels and the Congolese government forces in eastern DRC.

However, Maj. Tabaro acknowledged that dozens of heavy trucks en route to Goma via Cyanika remain parked at Nyakabande in Kisoro District, awaiting a resolution to the unrest. He affirmed that Ugandan security forces remain alert to prevent the infiltration of ADF criminals and ex-combatants who might attempt to disguise themselves as refugees.

He also urged district and local security committees to continue conducting security awareness campaigns along the border.

CUE IN MAJ. TABARO…..ON SECURITY….RR/ENG//

The conflict between the M23 rebels, led by Bertrand Bisimwa and Emmanuel Sultan Makenga, and the Congolese government has persisted since March 2022. Over time, the rebels have seized significant portions of North Kivu province.

In August 2024, M23 leadership formed an alliance with Corneille Nangaa Yobeluo, the former chairman of the DRC’s electoral commission and leader of the Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC), further intensifying their insurgency.

The DRC government has repeatedly accused neighboring Rwanda of supporting the M23 rebels. Both Rwanda and M23 have denied these allegations, asserting that their fight is against corruption, xenophobia, and discrimination within the Congolese leadership.