Ugandan forces take over east Congo town as M23 rebels leave

By CHRISTINA MALKIA and JUSTIN KABUMBA
Associated Press

GOMA, Congo (AP) — A spokesman for the East African regional force says that Ugandan troops took control of Bunagana, a strategic town in eastern Congo that had been in the hands of M23 rebels for more than nine months. Ugandan forces officially deployed to Bunagana and will establish a foothold in the area giving time for M23 to vacate. The rebels’ departure from Bunagana has been a key demand during several rounds of mediation efforts on the crisis in eastern Congo, where more than 120 armed groups have been fighting for land, power and resources and some to protect their communities. M23 rose to prominence 10 years ago when its fighters seized Goma, eastern Congo’s largest city on the border with Rwanda.