In what seems to be another sign of the declining grip of the FDLR on parts of the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the Congolese national army (FARDC) has yet again over run other rebel force bases. FARDC says it has captured a major FDLR stronghold of Kashindaba located in South Kivu after two days of heavy fighting that started on Monday. According to reports from the frontline, 14 rebels were killed while large amounts of weapons and ammunitions were captured. The army is also said to have taken over a FDLR position in Bushale. In a press briefing in Kinshasa, MONUC military spokesperson Lt. Col. Jean Paul Dietrich said that the on-going joint DRC-MONUC military offensive against the rebels progressed well in South Kivu, during the past week. “Kimia II operations progressed with success in the territories of Mwenga, Shabunda and Uvira as the FARDC succeeded in uprooting the FDLR from several localities. But reports on the ground also confirmed continued FDLR attacks on civilians,” says Lt. Col. Dietrich. Furthermore, on July 20, MONUC says the FARDC attacked the headquarters of the “Rainbow” FDLR brigade in Kigushu, approximately 85 kilometers northwest of Uvira, also in South Kivu and over ran the base . “FARDC continued their offensive in the territories of Walungu and Mwenga and captured the FDLR training centre in Mulambozi, 32 kilometres southwest of Walungu. They also captured Tubimbi, approximately 70 kilometres southwest of Bukavu in Walungu territory, after an operation in which three FDLR troops were killed, and four AK47 assault rifles, one mortar and a detonator were seized.” According to the United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR, thousands of civilians have been uprooted by the latest outbreak of fighting in the troubled South Kivu province in the far east of the DRC. The UNHCR puts the current figure of displaced people at 35,000, bringing the total number of civilians displaced in South Kivu since the start of the year to some 536,000 people, according to Ron Redmond, spokesperson for the UNHCR. Ends
