DRC former rebels join national army – a strengthening of peace in the country
Posted by African Press International on April 10, 2007
Kinshasa (DR Congo) The leader of the Front for national integration (FNI), Peter Karim and the cadres of his armed group were on Saturday integrated into the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) during a ceremonial parade which was organised in Kpandroma, an area located about 175km in the north of Buna, in the Eastern Province (north-east of DRC).
The FARDC’s staff in Ituri handed the stripes dedicated to the senior officers of the national army to seven cadres of FNI, including the commanding officer Peter Karim who was promoted Colonel of FARDC.
Out of the FNI’s 340 fighters who were already disarmed, only 100 candidates for integration in FARDC attended the ceremonial parade, according to Radio Okapi, the station of the United Nations Mission in the DRC (MONUC).
Only the FNI’s subalterns stayed in the bush with their fighters who would readily join the national army, an officer integrated in FARDC said.
The FNI is one of the armed groups operating in the eastern province of Ituri , in the DRC.
Published by Korir, African Press in Norway, apn, africanpress@chello.no, tel +47 932 99 739 or +47 6300 2525 source.apa
