Ugandan military Spokesperson said this Friday police officers’ national identities had been confirmed, and that they had been allowed to enter Uganda as an act of humanity and in line with international law.

The officers were handed over along with their weapons, ammunition and other arms, the statement by Major Kiconco Tabaro, a Ugandan military Spokesperson, said. Tabaro said that refugees continued to flow over the Ugandan border to escape the ongoing violence in eastern DRC.

The M23 has been waging a renewed insurgency in DRC's militia-plagued east since 2022. In June, the M23 seized the town of Kanyabayonga, which is on high ground making it a gateway to other parts of eastern DRC's North Kivu province.

Efforts by DRC's military to push back the rebels have intensified over the past year with the use of drones and aircraft, although the rebels have still expanded territory under their control.

Fighting in North Kivu has driven more than 1.7 million people from their homes, taking the total number of Congolese displaced by multiple conflicts to a record 7.2 million, according to United Nations estimates.

--Reuters--