Government authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo have arrested three Ugandan journalists for allegedly entering the country without proper documents.
The journalists, Sudhir Byaruhanga of NTV, James Akena, a photographer with the Daily Monitor and Godfrey Mbandiriya, a cameraman were arrested on Saturday morning shortly after they entered the war-torn country.
Kisoro resident district commissioner, Hajji Musa Doka told URN that the journalists on their way to Goma, a regional city in North Kivu province. Goma is currently the centre of fighting between government forces supported by UN peacekeepers, and the M23 rebels. Doka, however, did not explain the circumstances and actual location of their arrest.
Both Major Charles Mukasa, the commanding officer of the 63rd battalion based in Kisoro, and Capt Peter Mugisa, the second division army spokesperson, said they had heard about the arrest but they did not have details.
The scribes left Graceland Hotel in Kisoro town council on Saturday morning and ventured into the DRC using a private car. Alex Hashaka, a cashier at the hotel told URN that the trio, who has been staying at the hotel for a week, left at 7am on Saturday and were expected to be back by 8pm the same day.
Hashaka says, however, that he received a telephone call from Sudhir Byaruhanga on a Congolese number +243972901281 telling him that they had been arrested by the Congolese government forces.
URN Reporter called the same telephone number and managed to speak to one of the journalists, James Akena, who said that they were being held at a place called Kiwanja, which is 62km from Goma. Akena that they were arrested for entering DR Congo without visas. He, however, gave no further details but said that they would be taken to Goma on Sunday.
Since April this year, the M23 rebels who derive their name from failed March 23, 2009 agreement, have been fighting the government. A week ago, the rebels overrun a string of towns at the border with Uganda sending thousands of civilians and at least 600 soldiers into Uganda. The rebels were advancing on Goma before being attacked by the UN forces on Friday.
