FILE - In this Nov. 30, 2012 file photo, M23 rebels withdraw from the Masisi and Sake areas in the eastern Congo town of Sake, some 27 kms west of Goma, Congo. A leader of the M23 rebel group in eastern Congo said Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2013 that his movement is ending its rebellion after more than a year and a half of fighting against the Congolese government. The announcement came as the Congolese military declared victory over the rebels, having seized control of the last two hills that had been held by M23. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay, File)
FILE - In this Nov. 30, 2012 file photo, M23 rebels withdraw from the Masisi and Sake areas in the eastern Congo town of Sake, some 27 kms west of Goma, Congo. A leader of the M23 rebel group in eastern Congo said Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2013 that his movement is ending its rebellion after more than a year and a half of fighting against the Congolese government. The announcement came as the Congolese military declared victory over the rebels, having seized control of the last two hills that had been held by M23. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay, File)
FILE - In this Nov. 30, 2012 file photo, M23 rebels withdraw from the Masisi and Sake areas in the eastern Congo town of Sake, some 27 kms west of Goma, Congo. A leader of the M23 rebel group in eastern Congo said Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2013 that his movement is ending its rebellion after more than a year and a half of fighting against the Congolese government. The announcement came as the Congolese military declared victory over the rebels, having seized control of the last two hills that had been held by M23. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay, File)
A truck carries passengers and cargo along the road from Rutshuru to Goma, eastern Congo, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2013. Within the area recently recaptured by the national army, civilians were enjoying the newly found freedom of movement and the absence of the road taxes formerly levied by the M23. But in this mineral-rich region wracked with violence for nearly two decades by a myriad of armed groups, though, the government’s declared victory over M23 brings only cautious optimism.(AP Photo/Joseph Kay)
Children deliver wood for the construction of a new house for Emmanuel Kazingufu, whose home was destroyed last August by a Congolese army mortar shell in fighting against M23 rebels, in Kibati, eastern Congo, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2013. Now that the M23 rebels have officially given up their fight, 27-year-old Kazingufu is rebuilding his house. In this mineral-rich region wracked by violence for nearly two decades by a myriad of armed groups, though, the government’s declared victory over M23 brings only cautious optimism.(AP Photo/Joseph Kay)
A man remains in good spirits despite being stuck at the roadside after the truck he was traveling in from Kiwanja, in territory held until last week by M23 rebels, broke down just outside Goma, eastern Congo, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2013. Within the area recently recaptured by the national army, civilians were enjoying the newly found freedom of movement and the absence of road taxes levied by the M23. But in this mineral-rich region wracked with violence for nearly two decades by a myriad of armed groups, though, the government’s declared victory over M23 brings only cautious optimism.(AP Photo/Joseph Kay)
KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — At least 1,700 Congolese M23 rebels, including the top commander, have surrendered to Ugandan authorities following their defeat by Congolese troops, a Ugandan military official said Thursday.
Gen. Sultani Makenga, M23's military commander, and his fighters were being held by the Ugandan military in Mgahinga, a forested area near the Congo border, the official said. The rebels had been disarmed and were being registered by Ugandan officials, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to give this information.
This week the rebels lost control of all the territory they once held following an intensified offensive by Congolese troops who are backed by United Nations forces in eastern Congo. After their last major stronghold fell last week, the rebels appeared to flee from the border town of Bunagana to the surrounding hills and forests. Earlier this week the rebels' civilian leader, Bertrand Bisimwa, announced the rebellion was over, saying he wanted to work with Congo's government toward finding a political solution to violence in eastern Congo.
Makenga, the M23 commander, is the subject of U.N. sanctions, and it remained unclear what Ugandan officials would do with him.
Under the banner of a regional bloc, Uganda has been hosting peace talks between the rebels and Congo's government. Those talks have repeatedly stalled, but there were signs a final accord might be signed soon after Congolese troops gained an upper hand against the rebels in recent fighting in eastern Congo.
M23 launched its rebellion in April 2012, becoming the latest reincarnation of a Tutsi rebel group dissatisfied with the Congolese government. A report by U.N. experts has said neighboring Rwanda, whose president is also an ethnic Tutsi, provided weapons, recruits and training to M23 rebels. Rwanda's government denies the allegations, saying Congo's government has failed to police its territory.
M23 had been substantially weakened in the past year by internal divisions and waning Rwandan support, according to the U.N. Defections from the M23 went up, totaling 80 in October.
The Congolese military capitalized on these rebel setbacks by pushing ahead with new offensives beginning in August that were supported by a brigade of U.N. forces with a mandate to attack the rebels.
Associated PressSource: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-11-07-AF-Congo-Fighting/id-14130693f1b9460c95752686380c9cbcSimilar Articles: grand theft auto 5 Voyager 1 nadal Linda Ronstadt Christopher Lane
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