A colonel of the army of the Democratic Republic of Congo has defected with about 50 soldiers and joined the rebels in the Central African country, the military said Wednesday.
Colonel Richard Bisamaza and his group stationed in Beni town in the eastern province of North Kivu, carried away a large quantity of weapons Monday night when they fled to Samboko, about 90 km away, Xinhua reported.
Bisamza has refused to return to Kinshasa after being summoned by the chief of general staff, a military statement said.
The deserters had been seeking an excuse to withdraw from the army and join rebels of the March 23 (M23) movement, the military said.
The military said this was the fourth defection of a senior army officer in 18 months.
The M23 is a rebel group formed in April 2012.
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