Official: 19 killed in Uganda fighting between rebels, army
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A Ugandan official says 19 people have been killed in two days of fighting between Ugandan forces and a tribal militia in a remote district near the border with Congo.
Government spokesman Col. Shaban Bantariza said Sunday that after rebels had killed four Ugandan police officers and wounded a soldier, Ugandan forces launched an operation in which at least 15 rebel fighters have been killed.
Bantariza said the rebels are believed to be loyal to a tribal king, Wesley Mumbere, who is critical of Uganda's government.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Mumbere is king of Uganda's Bakonzo people, and some of his supporters have been calling for secession from Uganda.
The western district of Kasese, where Mumbere is based, is a hotbed of opposition to Museveni, who lost there in the last presidential polls.