Democratic Republic of Congo's Army Says Mutiny Contained

Congolese soldiers patrol through the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The upsurge in rebel attacks in 2008 had created the conditions for the possible intervention of the US and EU., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.

Democratic Republic of Congo's Army says mutiny contained

Sun May 6, 2012 9:48PM GMT
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The Democratic Republic of Congo’s Army says it has ended military action in eastern DRC and brought a rebellion under control.

The Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC) had for a week been battling defectors and hunting rebel leader General Jean Bosco Ntaganda, who is also wanted by the International Criminal Court for suspected war crimes, including recruiting child soldiers.

Speaking for the FARDC on Sunday, Lieutenant General Didier Etumba Longila said in a statement that the conflict region had been cleared, AFP reported.

The statement said military operations against the "undisciplined" in the region had been suspended and all areas where rebels were fighting against the Army had been taken back.

"The FARDC have since the night of May 4-5 suspended operations to neutralize these undisciplined (soldiers)," it said.

Last week, some soldiers loyal to Ntaganda, who is the chief of the National Congress for the Defense of the People militia, defected from the Army and clashed with them in the east of the country.

However, a Major loyal to the rebels said fighting was not over yet.

Congo has been plagued by numerous setbacks over the past few years, such as grinding poverty, crumbling infrastructure, and a war in the east that has dragged on for over a decade and left over 5.4 million people dead.