M23 Rebel Fighters Surrender in Eastern DRC
(MENAFN) Two military officers and 36 members of the M23 rebel faction have laid down their arms amidst the ongoing violence in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, according to a statement from the Congolese military on Monday.
Maj. Dieudonne Kasereka, the spokesperson for the 34th Military Region, confirmed the surrender to the press.
He explained that those who gave up their weapons, including a major, a captain, and other fighters, relinquished their arms in the territories of Rutshuru, Masisi, and Walikale in North Kivu province, as well as in Kalehe, located in South Kivu.
Kasereka added that most of the individuals who surrendered were either “forcibly conscripted civilians or former government soldiers and police officers who had been abducted” from the cities of Goma and Bukavu, which had been taken over by the rebels earlier this year.
He also mentioned that “their testimonies confirm the inhumane treatment and abuses committed within the rebel movement.”
One of the deserters, Johnny Makala, shared with local media that he fled “to save his life.” Brig. Gen. Constantin Muyuwa, the commander of the 34th Military Region, urged other M23 fighters still in the field to follow the example of their comrades and lay down their weapons.
Last week, AFC/M23 and the government of the Congo signed an agreement in Doha to create a ceasefire monitoring mechanism, which aims to address the ongoing hostilities.
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