Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF), working jointly with the Regional Immigration Office in Mbarara District on Monday handed over five Congolese soldiers to the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC).
The five are said to have fled the battle field following a raid by the M23 militia group.
The repatriation of Sgt. Kabangu Nsingi Jeancy, 33; Cpl. Bloende Botelu Enoch, 35; Pte. Nkonyi Ngumu Mbuya, 26; Pte. Musungu Malu Beni, 22; and Pte. Bakomba Mupepe Exauce, 20, took place at Kasindi, in Eastern DRC, a few meters from Lhubiriha at the Uganda-DRC border point of Mpwondwe.
The group had reportedly fled ongoing intensified fighting around the city of Goma in Eastern DR Congo before trekking to the Ugandan border.
They were intercepted by UPDF in the Mukongolo area before being transferred to Buhoma Police for identity verification and screening.
A security source familiar with the investigation said the soldiers were part of a larger group reportedly captured and disarmed during recent clashes.
‘These five managed to escape and walked more than 80 kilometers toward the Ugandan border before they were arrested by Ugandan soldiers at the Mukongolo army detach,’ the source noted.
Local officials in Kanungu District also confirmed the circumstances under which they were detained.
‘They escaped from M23 rebels and crossed towards Mukongolo on the Uganda-DRC border. When they reached Buhoma, the entry point to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, security picked them up and took them to Buhoma Police Post for screening. Once it was established that they were soldiers, they were handed over to the Ugandan government for proper management,’ an official who preferred to anonymous said.
According to Maj Kiconco Tabaro, the public information officer for the UPDF 2nd Infantry Division, Uganda hosted the soldiers in line with International Humanitarian Law and regional protocols governing the treatment of foreign military personnel who enter another state.
‘Since July this year, we have hosted the five soldiers, in accordance with the principles of humane treatment. By the time they were handed over, they were in good health. They did not apply for asylum and voluntarily chose to return home,’ Maj. Tabaro said.
During the handover ceremony, the Commander of the UPDF Mountain Division, Maj. Gen Stephen Mugerwa, highlighted the strong and growing cooperation between Uganda and the DR Congo.
‘UPDF and FARDC continue to work closely as reliable partners in maintaining peace and stability across the region,’ he said.
Maj. Gen Mugerwa added that the gesture demonstrates Uganda’s Pan-African spirit and commitment to regional solidarity, noting that it aligns with cooperation frameworks under the East African Community and wider continental security arrangements.
Ugandan authorities confirmed that all required legal and administrative procedures were followed to ensure the soldiers’ safe and orderly repatriation.
Receiving the soldiers on behalf of the DRC government, Maj. Gen. Éveriste Somo Kakule, Military Governor of North Kivu Province, commended the UPDF for the humane treatment extended to FARDC personnel.