The UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo, MONUC, says Interahamwe or FDLR elements are still targeting and carrying out atrocities on the local population including government troops, especially in the South Kivu province.

The mission’s August 19 press communiqué says that FDLR continue attacks and isolated ambushes against the civilian population and the Congolese army – FARDC, in South Kivu.

Notably, the rebels are said to have killed three Congolese soldiers on August 10 in an ambush at Kahungwe, 8 kilometres east of Sange.

There were more FDLR civilian victims, just in a space of two days.

"Between August 10 and 11, 2009, 7 soldiers of the government force lost their lives in ambushes mounted by FDLR in the region of Sange in the territory of Uvira,” says part of the communiqué.

"On August 7, 2009, they (FDLR) opened fire at civilians at Nyamutiri which is situated 12 kilometres south west of Luvungi and they killed a civilian and injured two others,”
However, it goes further to state that government troops have recently repulsed FDLR attacks and last week: "the FDLR fired a rocket on the market of Rubanga and seriously injured two people.”

Rebel bastion taken
Elsewhere, MONUC reports that on August 11, an "important bastion” of the rebels situated approximately 180 kilometres south west of Bukavu, in Mwenga territory, was recaptured by the national army.

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