URN.
Scores of asylum seekers are reported to be entering Bundibugyo district on a daily basis following the heavy fighting in eastern DR Congo.
The asylum seekers are camped at the Bubukwanga transit camp in Bubukwanga Sub County.
A surge in armed and inter-communal violence in areas of Mbogha & Kyabohe in Ituri province the Eastern part of Democratic Republic of Congo -DRC has been reported since the start of April, 2021.
Some of the asylum seekers are escaping fighting between Ugandan rebel group Allied Democratic Forces-ADF and the DRC army-FARDC-UPDF joint force.
The refugees are mainly subsistence farmers hope the instability that forced them out of the Kamango area in the northernmost part of North Kivu Province, will soon end, allowing them to return to their farms.
The Bundibugyo deputy Chief Administrative Officer who doubles as the district refuge focal person, Francis Senyondo says the number of asylum seekers at Bubukwanga transit camp is now more than 500.
He says the camp has been receiving between 60 to 80 asylum seekers on a daily basis since UPDF and FARDC forces launched operations against ADF last month.
Senyondo said they are coordinating with different government agencies to ensure that refugees entering Uganda are screened and observe the standard operating procedures while in the camp.
The deputy Resident District Commissioner Umar Muhanguzi said they have heightened security at all porous border points with DR Congo not to give a chance to ADF members to use this period and cross into Uganda.
Bwamba County MP Richard Gafabusa calls on the government through OPM to quickly respond to the increasing numbers in the camp adding that any more delays to decongest the camp exposes the population to a much bigger challenge including crime and disease.
Last month over 500 asylum seekers were taken to Kyaka II refugee camp and this week the OPM planned to relocate more numbers to the same camp according to Julius Mucunguzi, the head of communications at the Office of the Prime Minister.
Last month, Ugandan troops launched air and artillery raids against ADF key bases in the Eastern DRC in an operation code-named “Operation Shujaa”.
Meanwhile eight soldiers of the DR Congo national army, FARDC, were killed in an attack by rebels of the M23 movement on their positions in the east of the country in the last four days.
Lt.-Col. Muhindo Lwanzo, Director of Cabinet for the military administrator of Rutshuru in North Kivu province communicated that another army position was attacked and burnt down by the same group.
The M23 rebel group was born out of a mutiny in April 2012 by former rebels integrated within the DR Congo armed forces, FARDC.
