KAMPALA, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Ugandan military on Wednesday arrested 101 former Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) rebel group M23 fighters when they tried to escape back to their country under unclear circumstances.
Ofwono Opondo, Uganda's government spokesperson, told Xinhua by telephone on Thursday that the fighters who fled to western Uganda in 2013 after being defeated were intercepted aboard four taxis in Mbarara and Kabale on their way back to eastern DRC.
Ofwono said that the fighters who had been camped at Bihanga military training school in Ibanda are currently detained at Makenke military barracks in Mbarara.
"These people were arrested on their way back aboard taxi minibuses as normal passengers. On questioning them, all of them were found to be former M23 combatants," said Ofwono.
Ofwono said the arrest comes after some 40 former fighters escaped back to the central African country in the last one week.
"These people have been escaping back to their country in a group's of about four to five. At least 40 went back to their country in the last six days," said Ofwono.
The arrests come barely three days after the Ugandan military on Monday dismissed reports that the former rebels have been crossing back to eastern DRC.
The incident is likely to bring diplomatic row between the authorities in Kampala and Kinshasa.
"Uganda has no sinister motive against DRC. These are individuals who were trying to escape against the agreed modalities and agreement. We still don't know the motive of their escape," said Ofwono.
The M23 rebels fled into western Uganda in November 2013 after they were defeated by the United Nations Force Intervention Brigade in the eastern Kivu province.
The M23 rebellion forced thousands of Congolese to flee into western Uganda.
