The ex-combatants who have spent in Uganda close to six years were on Tuesday morning seen off at Entebbe International Airport by the ambassador on special duties in Uganda’s ministry of Foreign Affairs, Robert Masolo and DRC’s Ambassador to Kampala Pierre Massala.
Their repatriation is part of the peace agreement involving Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo under the 8th Regional Oversight Mechanism Summit and the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region summit signed in October 2017.
The negotiations also involved the United Nations, Southern African Development Community and the African Union.
According to Ambassador Massala, the repatriation is in line with DRC President Felix Tshisekedi’s call on all his compatriots abroad to return home.
He said on arrival in DRC the ex-fighters will be put in a camp and trained to acquire employable skills while those wishing to join the national army will be helped to do so.
Ambassador Masolo on the other hand noted that the repatriation is purely voluntary, noting that none of the ex-combatants has been forced to return home.
He noted that these decided to return home after massive sensistisation.
According to Masolo, the government of Uganda together with other organizations will continue with sensitization to have all the remaining combatants returned to their home country.
The M23 movement also known as the Congolese Revolutionary Army was a rebel military group based in the eastern parts of the DRC but sought refuge in Uganda after a ceasefire agreement that ended their armed insurrection and control in Goma.
There have been ongoing efforts by DRC to repatriate the former rebels from the Bihanga military camp in Uganda in line with the Nairobi peace accord.
According to the peace accord the DRC government and M23 respectively signed declarations,”including the decision by the movement to end their rebellion and transform into a legitimate political party.