Ugandan Army Deploys to Town in Northeast DR Congo
The Ugandan army confirmed Sunday it has sent troops to another town in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo to fight local armed groups, amid fears a raging conflict could spiral into a wider war.
"Our troops have entered Mahagi town and we are in control," Uganda's defense and military affairs spokesman Felix Kulayigye told AFP Sunday.
The deployment was requested by the Congolese army following alleged massacres of civilians carried out by a militia known as the Cooperative for the Development of Congo (Codeco), he said, without providing further details.
Mahagi is in Ituri province, which borders Uganda, where at least 51 people were killed on February 10 by armed men affiliated with Codeco, according to humanitarian and local sources.
Codeco claims it defends the interests of the Lendu community, mainly composed of farmers, against the Hema community, mainly herders.
Uganda already has thousands of troops in other parts of Ituri under an agreement with the Congolese government.
Last month, Uganda announced its troops had "taken control" of the provincial capital, Bunia.
Ituri is just north of the provinces of North and South Kivu, which at the end of January fell under the control of the anti-government M23 armed group, which is backed by neighboring Rwanda.
Analysts fear that Uganda and Rwanda's growing presence in eastern DRC could lead to a repeat of the so-called Second Congo War, which lasted from 1998 to 2003, involving many African countries and resulting in millions of deaths from violence, disease and famine.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Saudi Gazette
a day ago
- Saudi Gazette
Japan executes 'Twitter killer' who murdered nine
TOKYO — Japan has executed a man who murdered nine people in 2017, the first time since 2022 that the country has enacted capital punishment. The serial killings by Takahiro Shiraishi, dubbed the "Twitter killer", had shocked the country and triggered debate over how suicide was discussed online. Shiraishi, then 30, lured his victims - most of them young women between the ages of 15 and 26 - to his apartment, before strangling and dismembering them. The killings came to light in October 2017, when police found body parts in the Japanese city of Zama, near Tokyo, when they were searching for one of the victims. Warning: Readers may find some details in this story distressing. Shiraishi later admitted to murdering nine suicidal victims and revealed that he got acquainted with them on Twitter, the social media platform now known as then told them he could help them die, and in some cases claimed he would kill himself alongside Twitter profile contained the words: "I want to help people who are really in pain. Please DM [direct message] me anytime."Nine dismembered bodies were found in coolers and tool boxes when officers visited his flat, which was dubbed by media outlets as a "house of horrors".While prosecutors sought the death penalty for Shiraishi, his lawyers argued for the lesser charge of "murder with consent", claiming his victims had given their permission to be also called for an assessment of his mental later disputed his own defence team's version of events and said he killed without the victims' of people showed up at his verdict hearing in December 2020, when he was sentenced to murders also prompted a change by Twitter, which amended its rules to state users should not "promote or encourage suicide or self-harm".Japan's justice minister Keisuke Suzuki, who said he ordered Shiraishi's execution, said the killer acted "for the genuinely selfish reason of satisfying his own sexual and financial desires", according to an AFP case "caused great shock and anxiety to society", Suzuki said. — BBC
Leaders
2 days ago
- Leaders
Spanish PM Urges EU to Suspend Cooperation Deal with Israel
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Thursday that Gaza was in a 'catastrophic situation of genocide' before an EU summit in Brussels, urging for suspending deals with Israel, according to AFP. Call for Suspending Deal with Israel Sanchez called on the European Union to immediately suspend its cooperation deal with Israel. These remarks represent Sanchez's strongest condemnation to date after a lot of critical statements against Israel and its genocide in Gaza. The Spanish PM shed light on a recent human rights report by the EU's diplomatic service which tackled 'the catastrophic situation of genocide unfolding in Gaza.' Importantly, the report mentioned 'indications' that Israel was breaching its human rights obligations under the deal, which forms the basis for trade ties. Sanchez said it was 'more than obvious' that Israel was violating its obligations and that the bloc should suspend the cooperation deal 'immediately.' Furthermore, the report tackled Israel's blockade of humanitarian aid, the high number of civilian casualties, attacks on journalists and the massive displacement and destruction caused by the war. Sanchez added that 'it makes no sense' that the bloc has imposed 18 rounds of sanctions on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine but, 'in a double standard, is not even capable of suspending an association deal.' Call for Exclusion from Eurovision In May, Sanchez said that the Eurovision song contest should exclude Israel over its war in Gaza. He also expressed solidarity with 'the people of Palestine who are experiencing the injustice of war and bombardment.' Russians have not been allowed to take part in the competition because of Russia's invasion on Ukraine. 'Therefore, Israel shouldn't either, because what we cannot allow is double standards in culture,' Sanchez said at an event in Madrid. During his speech, the Spanish PM stressed Spain's commitment to applying the international law and human rights nothing that 'Europe's should be too.' Calling Israel a 'Genocidal State' Sanchez previously called Israel a 'genocidal state' during his speech in the Spanish parliament on Wednesday, stating that Madrid 'does not do business' with such a country. The PM's remarks came as a response to a provocative comment from an anti-Israel member of parliament who condemned Spain's trade relations with what he called the 'genocide state' of Israel. Sanchez's comments sparked anger in Israel, prompting Israel's Foreign Ministry to summon the Spanish Ambassador, Ana Salomon, for a formal reprimand in Jerusalem. 'Following the severe remarks made by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, the Spanish ambassador to Israel has been summoned for a reprimand meeting at the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem tomorrow,' the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Related Topics: Spain Cancels Purchase of Israeli Weapons after Internal Pressure Spain Ravaged by Deadliest Floods in Decades Ireland, Spain, Norway to Recognize Palestinian State Short link : Post Views: 18
Leaders
3 days ago
- Leaders
Hamas Reports Intensified Gaza Ceasefire Talks
A senior Hamas official has said that talks to reach a ceasefire between the Palestinian movement and Israel in Gaza 'intensified in recent hours' with mediator countries Egypt and Qatar. On Wednesday, Hamas' senior official, Taher Al-Nono, told AFP: 'Our communications with the brother mediators in Egypt and Qatar have not stopped and have intensified in recent hours.' Moreover, he said that the Palestinian movement 'had not received any new proposals' to end the Gaza war, which has entered its 21st month. In the same context, the US President, Donald Trump, expressed optimism regarding Gaza ceasefire talks, raising hopes that the devastating war could come to an end. Speaking to reporters ahead of the NATO Summit in The Hague on Wednesday, Trump said: 'I think great progress is being made on Gaza,' adding that his Special Envoy, Steve Witkoff, told him that 'Gaza is very close.' The US President suggested that the imminent 'very good news' for Gaza is linked to the recently-announced ceasefire between Iran and Israel that ended their 12-day war, according to AFP. Similarly, the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, hinted that Israel's military action against Iran's missile and nuclear facilities could bring the conflict in Gaza to an end. Furthermore, mediator Qatar said on Tuesday that it would initiate a new push for a ceasefire. 'We are still continuing our efforts, we will try to look for an opportunity during the next two days for having indirect negotiations between the two parties,' the Qatari Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, said during a joint press conference with his Lebanese counterpart. 'We hope that the Israeli side will not exploit the ceasefire with Iran to unleash what it wants to unleash on Gaza and continue its bombing of' the enclave, he added. Short link : Post Views: 132
