KINSHASA, Dec 27, 2006 (Xinhua via COMTEX) -- The National Army Force in the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) recaptured all six towns in Djugu, the east Oriental province, which had been controlled by the fighters of National Integrationist Front (FNI), General Mayala, commander of the FARDC operations confirmed on Tuesday.
The six are the small towns, 110 km from Bunia, capital of Ituri, where residents who had escaped the fighting began to return home on Tuesday.
The FNI fighters had retreated from the towns ahead of FARDC's military deployment, military sources said, adding that the UN observer mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) had taken part in the operation to take one of the six towns.
FNI chief Peter Karim was nominated as colonel of FARDC last week after agreeing to integrate his forces into the army.