The Democratic Republic of Congo government Wednesday deployed hundreds of soldiers and tanks along its frontier with M23 rebels territory creating up new tensions in the war-torn country.
The M23 Spokesperson Rene Abandi told New Vision Thursday that the DR Congo Army has stationed their forces on several fronts in Mabenga and Butembo and opened more fronts in Tongo and Giseguro in the North Kivu province which is a clear sign that they want to attack the M23 positions.
The reports comes hours after the DR Congo army spokesman Colonel Olivier Amuli told Radio France where he said that the government Army, Forces Armées de la République Démocratique du Congo (FARDC) has already finalized plans and strategies to fight the M23 rebels.
“We are only waiting for an order from President Joseph Kabila to flush out these rebels out and stabilize the region”Col Amuli told Radio France International on Tuesday.
Colonel Amuli recently said that President Kabila is more inclined to the Military option than seeking a political solution to the crisis in the Eastern part of the country that has led to thousands of people to live in refugee camps in Uganda and Rwanda while others are languishing in internal refugee camps near Goma city.
On Monday June 17th South Africa deployed troops in Goma city to reinforce the Tanzanian contingent that will form the United Nations Intervention Brigade (UNIB) expected to combat M23 rebels.
However the M23 rebels have said that they are well prepared for any attack on their positions and will not be threatened in any way.
Sources close to the M23 military command near Goma confided to New Vision that the rebel movement has in the recent months intensified military training of their men including new recruitment of fighters and intelligence gathering.
In May, several youth from the districts of Kiruhura, Masaka, Ssembabule and Mayuge were arrested by Uganda authorities after they were suspected to be recruits destined to join the M23 ranks in Goma.
The M23 chairman Bertrand Bisiimwa has in the past threatened that his rebel outfit will not hesitate to recapture the strategic provincial town of Goma like they did in November 2012 should the Kinshasa government forces continue with plans to attack their positions.
