Ugandan journalists held in DR Congo

The journalists, Sudhir Byaruhanga of NTV, James Akena, a photographer with Reuters and Godfrey Mbandiriya, a cameraman were arrested on Saturday, 14 July 2012, shortly after they entered the war-torn country to continue with their reporting.

Kisoro resident district commissioner, Hajji Musa Doka told this reporter that the journalists on their way to Goma, a regional city in North Kivu province, "They passed by my office and made it clear that they wanted to go to Goma where the war attention is going on and I just wished them well, but now I hear they were arrested by the Congolese Army immediately after they entered the country," Doka said.

Goma is currently the center of fighting between government forces supported by UN peacekeepers, and the M23 rebels royal to renegade rebel leader Bosco Ntanganda.

Doka, however, did not explain the circumstances and actual location of their arrest.

When contacted both major Charles Mukasa, the commanding officer of the 63rd battalion based in Kisoro, and Capt Peter Mugisa, the second division army spokesperson, said they had heard about the arrest but they did not have details.

"We also got information that the Ugandan journalists were under arrest but currently we don't have the details," Capt Mugisa said.

Efforts to get information from the Congo was futile as no one was risking to give information to any journalist at Bunagana.

Source: allAfrica.