Democratic Republic of the Congo: Police arrests 32 suspected Union of Congolese Patriots for Peace (UCPC) rebels for attacking Goma airport
Congolese police on Thursday said they have arrested 32 people on charges of attacking the international airport in Goma, capital of north-eastern North Kivu province.
Fighters belonging to a new rebel group headed by a former regional politician, Celestin Malonga, were pushed back on Monday by the army and members of the presidential guard who were based at the airport.
However, one rebel and four members of the presidential guard were killed.
Meanwhile, the reasons for the attack were not clear but officials and analysts said the rebels may have wanted to prevent guests from arriving for a regional economic forum or that they may simply have wanted to loot goods at the airport.