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Six civilians were admitted at Kisoro hospital in Kisoro district on Wednesday after sustaining gunshots in the renewed fighting between the March 23 Movement (M23) rebels and the Congolese government army in Rutshuru territory, North Kivu province.
The victims were carried to the Ugandan side of Bunagana by locals on Wednesday evening and handed over to Uganda Red Cross Society officials who rushed them to Kisoro hospital. There was fierce fighting between the rebels and government forces in Bweza, Jomba, and Busanza groupings on Wednesday.
The Congolese troops spent the whole day shelling the M23 positions. Heavy and light gun sounds would be heard in Musezero and Mungo in Busanza grouping about 2 kilometers to the Uganda-DR Congo border of Bunagana.
Benjamin Akankwasa, the Kisoro Hospital Administrator, says that the causalities include three minors and three adults. Akankwasa says that the victims are battling wounds inflicted on them by bomb fragments, according to the medical examination reports.
Hajji Shafique Ssekandi Ssengoba, the Kisoro Resident District Commissioner, says that the victims appeared with hundreds of other refugees fleeing the ongoing fighting that resumed on Thursday last week.
The fighting on Wednesday affected the electricity supply in Ruthuru territory from Matebe power hydro station, according to supplier Virunga Energies. By evening hours, the gun sound had paused, but tension remained high among civilians.
The fresh fighting started in March this year. DR Congo's government accuses Rwanda of backing the rebels, a claim that Rwanda refutes strongly.
M23 rebels claim that they are fighting bad leadership in DR Congo that is based on corruption, xenophobia, and discrimination.