Kabila’s FRN takes three South Kivu localities, 160,000 displaced
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on AGP Gabon
Joseph Kabila’s Front for the Refoundation of the Nation (FRN) has extended its offensive in Kalehe territory, South Kivu, taking Bitale, Bulambika and Kambali along the Bukavu-Kisangani road. More than 160,000 people have fled the fighting, while the Congolese army says it still holds Mubugu and Hombo-Sud, according to APA-News and RFI.
The Front for the Refoundation of the Nation (FRN), a politico-military movement led by former Congolese president Joseph Kabila, has taken Bitale, Bulambika and Kambali in Kalehe territory, South Kivu, displacing more than 160,000 people, according to Kalehe territory administrator Thomas Bakenga, cited by APA-News.
The offensive was launched on the night of 6 to 7 November along National Road 3 (RN3), between Bukavu and Kisangani via Walikale. FRN fighters advanced through Kahuzi-Biega National Park before seizing positions held by the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) and their Wazalendo allies, according to Radio France internationale (RFI). Bulambika fell on 9 November after heavy clashes.
The displaced residents sought refuge notably in Hombo, on the border between North Kivu and South Kivu, or in the surrounding forests. The FARDC is preparing a counter-offensive to retake the lost positions, while the spokesman for the 34th military region, Major Dieudonné Kasereka, says the FRN’s advance was halted at Bulambika.
The offensive comes after the FRN took Kalonge and Bitale in South Kivu on 7 November, followed by Bulambika in South Kivu on 8 November. The FRN had also taken Bunyakiri and Bulambika on 9 November, according to an article published the same day.
