Nineteen people from the Democratic Republic of Congo and presented as suspected insurgents were detained Tuesday in northern South Africa, said a spokesman of the South African Police Service; operation immediately welcomed by the DRC authorities.
They were arrested early this morning (Tuesday) at 5:00 (0300 GMT) by members of the South African Special Forces, told AFP Masigo Lindela, a spokesman for the national police in South Africa. These arrests come after months of intelligence work, he added.
Suspects must be brought to justice in Pretoria for infringement of the law on foreign military assistance, according to the source who refused to give any further details of the allegations. Scheduled first Tuesday, their appearance was postponed to a later date.
Eyewitness News Agency radio said they were arrested near the border in the province of Limpopo (north).
Congolese diaspora in South Africa is estimated at approximately 300,000 citizens, many of which are acquired in the opposition to President Joseph Kabila.
Questioned by AFP, Lambert Mende, spokesman for the Congolese government said it had been informed of the arrest of 19 plotters. They were arrested just as they wanted to take action, he said.
Contacts are made to be seen what the best approach: either they are tried in South Africa, whether they are brought to justice Congo. The Ministry of Justice is working and we offer the best procedure, said Mende.
We can not say at this stage if they are associated with M23 (the rebel movement which occupies part of the eastern DRC), said Mende.
We are satisfied with any decision made by South Africa to bolster security in Africa. For us, it is a gesture of solidarity in the fight against crime in Africa, said the spokesman Congo.
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