African Great Lakes Observer

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/democraticrepublicofcongo/10417909/DR-Congo-M23-rebels-close-to-defeat-after-US-and-British-intervention.html DR Congo: M23 rebels close to defeat after US and Britain urge Rwanda to stay out The M23 rebel group is made up of hundreds of Congolese soldiers mostly from the Tutsi ethnic group who deserted the national army last year Picture: Reuters Twitter 33 Facebook 87 Share 120 By  Mike Pflanz , in Nairobi and David Blair 3:19PM GMT 31 Oct 2013 Foreign ministers of America and Britain called president of neighbouring Rwanda to ask him to cut ties with rebels Rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo are close to defeat after the foreign ministers of both America and Britain called the president of neighbouring Rwanda and urged him not to intervene to support them, The Daily Telegraph has learned. John Kerry, the US secretary of state, and William Hague, the Foreign Secretary, telephoned Paul Kagame separately last Fr...

http://www.newsdaily.com/article/4309eb4b9e89b0359eeb275039d9a557/congo-army-hunts-rebels-deep-into-mountain-bases Congo army hunts rebels deep into mountain bases THURSDAY OCT 31, 2013  |   KENNY KATOMBE  FOR  REUTERS Congolese soldiers arrive atop a tank in Bunagana Credit: Stringer/Reuters BUNAGANA, Democratic Republic of Congo (Reuters) - Congo's army said on Thursday it was hunting rebels deep in the forests and mountains along the border with Rwanda and Uganda, the insurgents' last hideouts after they were driven from towns they seized during a 20-month rebellion. Peace talks between the government and M23 rebels resumed on Wednesday in neighboring Uganda but Congo's army appeared intent on crushing the most serious uprising in its mineral-rich east since a war ended a decade ago. "We're going to pursue M23 and push them into a corner, wherever they hide, because they are criminals," army spokesman Colonel Olivier Hamuli said. "They have martyred th...

http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Police-boss-suspended-over-Kagame-guard/-/688334/2053998/-/view/printVersion/-/9j287cz/-/index.html NATIONAL Police boss suspended over Kagame guard Sky Hotel in Naalya, Kampala where Lt Joel Mutabaazi was believed to have been arrested. Photo by Steven Wandera  Kampala-  The police deputy CIID director in-charge of Crime Intelligence, Mr Joel Aguma, was last night suspended after he irregularly arrested and extradited to Rwanda Lt Joel Mutabazi, a former bodyguard to President Paul Kagame, long sought by Kigali. Spokesperson Judith Nabakooba said whereas Mutabazi's arrest was imminent following a September warrant of arrest for him issued by the Rwandan government, Mr Aguma will be investigated over the "manner in which he handed him over to [Rwandan authorities]". "He remains suspended until investigations are concluded into the matter," Ms Nabakooba said, quoting Inspector General of Police Kale Kayihura. The Crime Intel...

http://www.africandefence.net/analysis-how-m23-was-rolled-back/ How M23 was rolled back Posted by  Darren Olivier  on Oct 30, 2013 in  Central Africa ,  Featured In just four days, M23 has been dislodged from every one of the strongholds it once held. This surprisingly rapid reversal of fortunes for the group was unprecedented only weeks ago when most experts predicted that it would take significant effort to remove M23 from towns like Kibumba, Rumangabo and Rutshuru. Despite M23′s claims that its withdrawals were intentional, the group relinquished heavily-fortified positions all over North Kivu that it had only recently reinforced after the fighting in August. While M23 is not yet fully defeated, there is little doubt that it has suffered a crushing military loss. This analysis will explain why FARDC, the DRC's national army, backed up by the United Nations Force Intervention Brigade (FIB) was able dislodge M23 so rapidly. Map of the situation in North Kivu during ...