The Uganda People’s Defence Forces have confirmed that M23 Rebel Commander Sultan Makenga is missing from where he has been living.
In a phone interview with ChimpReports, UPDF spokesperson Brig.Richard Karemire confirmed that Col. Makenga has been missing for over 3 weeks now from the place where he had been staying with other former rebels.
“This is not something new. He has been missing since the 14th of last month (January),” Brig. Karemire told this website.
Asked whether there have been efforts to locate the rebel leader, the Ugandan army spokesperson said it is not their role to look for him but noted that they had informed the Kinshasa government and was in the know of the escape of Makenga.
“We have communicated to the DRC authority, they also sent a delegation to Kampala and we held meeting in relations to the matter.”
The UPDF mouthpiece also noted that the authorities from the Kinshasa government have been given a chance and paid a visit to Bihanga Military Training School in Ibanda District where other M23 rebels are kept.
There is still no confirmation whether Makenga has returned to Congo but Congolese media recently reported unidentified troops in North Kivu’s Sarambwe Nature Reserve, adjacent to the border.
A few weeks ago, a group of M23 fighters were arrested after allegedly escaping from the training school where had been kept.
According to security officials, these were found in Omnibuses as they tried to escape to DRC before being brought back to Bihanga camp.
Since 2014 when over 1000 former rebels first attempted to flee the barracks, the Ugandan government has not given a clear explanation as to why these were eager to leave
Named the March 23 Movement, M23 was a rebel military group based in eastern area of DR Congo, operating mainly in North Kivu Province led by Col Sultani Makenga but was defeated by U.N. and Congolese troops forcing them to flee to neighboring Uganda and Rwanda .