Uganda and Rwanda quit Congo city

President Museveni blames Rwanda for the clashes

United Nations observers in the Democratic Republic of Congo say Ugandan and Rwandan troops have begun withdrawing from the north-eastern city of Kisangani.

This clash was most regrettable and should never have happened

President Museveni

The pullout is part of a plan agreed by Presidents Yoweri Museveni of Uganda and Paul Kagame of Rwanda to create the first demilitarised city in Congo under the control of the UN.

Under the withdrawal agreement the two countries will withdraw their troops, tanks and heavy weapons about 100 km (60 miles) from Kisangani's city centre.

The two armies will keep 216 soldiers each in the town to guard strategic installations against attacks by government-allied forces.

A United Nations monitor supervising the withdrawal, Major Jamil Ahmad, said the exercise should be complete in about seven days.

"Everything is going according to plan. The withdrawal has started and we estimate it will take maybe seven days to complete," he said.

Ugandan troops back a rival faction of the Congolese rebels

Major Ahmad is one of 20 unarmed UN military observers who escorted the Rwandan and Ugandan soldiers and weapons away from Kisangani's main airport at Bangoka.

A total number of 5,500 UN troops are expected to arrive in Kisangani by July to maintain the peace.

Allied disagreements

The Ugandan and Rwandan Governments have been backing two rival factions of the rebel Congolese Rally for Democracy, RCD, which has been fighting since August 1998 to remove President Laurent Kabila from power.

Whereas Uganda wishes to extend the hand of support to the Congolese people, Rwanda wants to play a more assertive role

President Museveni

Troops from the two formerly-allied nations engaged in fierce fighting in Kisangani on two occasions over the past few months.

In August last year scores of people were killed when Rwandan and Ugandan soldiers clashed there.

And early this month another clash claimed the lives of more than 20 people, with scores more wounded.

Museveni blames Rwanda

Mr Kabila has the support of Namibia, Angola and Zimbabwe

Over the weekend President Museveni blamed Rwandan troops for the violent clashes in Kisangani.

"This clash was most regrettable and should never have happened," Mr Museveni said referring to this month violent confrontation.

"Whereas Uganda wishes to extend the hand of support to the Congolese people, Rwanda wants to play a more assertive role," he said.

"It appears they have a different idea," he added. President Museveni told an extraordinary session of parliament that Ugandan forces would not pull out of Congo unilaterally.

"This would be a most unwise thing to do," he told parliament.

He added that such a move would create chaos in the region and lead to a betrayal of the trust of Uganda's allies in the DR Congo.