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NEW YORK - 27 Oct 2016

Report: fate of 700 SPLM-IO fighters in DRC unclear

The United Nations is unsure what to do with 700 SPLM-IO fighters who are currently in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Reuters reported on Thursday.

Michelle Nichols reported that U.N. Chief Ban Ki-moon asked the Security Council for guidance over what to do with the fighters, who entered the country with rebel leader Riek Machar, who fled the country in August. 

In early October, Congo’s government said the fighters had to leave the country. Many have raised concern that the fighters presence in Goma could enflame local tensions.

According to the Reuters report, Ban said the U.N cannot remove the troops from the Congo, but at the same time has no basis “to continue providing humanitarian assistance to them, as they are no longer in a life-threatening situation,"