The Congolese Armed Forces (FARDC) have announced the arrest of a group of its frontline soldiers in the ongoing war in the east after they were involved in a fierce confrontation against each other which resulted gun shootout at the airport.
Elements of the FARDC, in front of the battle against the M23 Rebel Group in the east, fired gunshots at each other following a dispute at the Goma International Airport where they had been deployed.
The main cause of the confrontation between the FARDC soldiers has not yet been established but the army have since confirmed the arrest of elements involved and have been charged for gross indiscipline.
In trying to reassure the population, the Congolese army spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Ndjike Kaiko Guillaume said that the incident was just a case of indiscipline within the army “as in all armies in the world”.
However, it is said that some of the soldiers have grown frustrated with the Congolese government’s insufficient provision of support in the face of fierce attacks from the M23 Rebel Group.
“It was a soldier who was the first to shoot and then the others followed. We arrested them, unfortunately they have no claim. Besides, we started deploying them on the front this morning and everything is already calm,” Lieutenant-Colonel Ndjike Kaiko Guillaume said.
Calm has since returned to the airport where new elements have redeployed since Saturday night.
