DR Congo cracks down on suspected South Sudanese rebels
Authorities from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are rounding up South Sudanese refugees who are suspected of being rebel fighters.In a move that may indicate a change in Kinshasa’s policy towards the conflict in South Sudan, Congolese authorities have recently detained about a dozen South Sudanese suspected of being opposition fighters.Distinguishing civilians from militants is not easy. One former fighter who crossed into Congo with his family and applied for refugee status told our reporters that he has no intention of disclosing his past activities to authorities there.According to international law, rebel fighters who have crossed into another country must be detained until a ceasefire in the conflict they are fleeing has been declared or they denounce military activity, at which point they may seek asylum. But authorities from the DRC have said they may extradite former fighters back to South Sudan.
