THE UNITED NATIONS SAID ON SATURDAY REPORTS OF A UGANDAN ARMY INCURSION INTO CONGO WERE "CREDIBLE" AFTER PEACEKEEPERS CONDUCTED A VERIFICATION MISSION IN THE REMOTE NORTHEASTERN BORDER REGION, REUTERS REPORTED. DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO'S GOVERNMENT HAS PROTESTED TO KAMPALA OVER WHAT IT SAID WAS AN INCURSION BY UGANDAN TROOPS WHO CLASHED WITH KINSHASA'S FORCES AS THEY PURSUED UGANDAN REBELS OVER THE BORDER EARLIER THIS WEEK. "AFTER VERIFICATION, WE FOUND THE REPORTS CONCERNING UGANDAN INCURSIONS (INTO CONGO) TO BE CREDIBLE," SAID KEMAL SAIKI, SPOKESMAN FOR THE U.N. PEACEKEEPING MISSION IN CONGO, KNOWN BY ITS FRENCH ACRONYM MONUC. SAIKI SAID PEACEKEEPERS FOUND A "CONVERGENCE OF TESTIMONIES" ABOUT THE UNIFORMED SOLDIERS NEAR ABA, A TOWN CLOSE TO CONGO'S BORDER WITH UGANDA AND SUDAN. "WE HAVE DECIDED TO REINFORCE MONUC'S PRESENCE IN THE AREA AND CONTINUE INVESTIGATIONS," SAIKI SAID, ADDING THERE WERE NOW MORE THAN 100 PEACEKEEPERS IN ABA. CONGO DELIVERED A "VERBAL NOTE" OF PROTEST TO THE UGANDAN EMBASSY IN KINSHASA AFTER SECURITY SOURCES REPORTED THIS WEEK THAT UGANDAN SOLDIERS HAD CROSSED THE BORDER IN PURSUIT OF UGANDAN LORD'S RESISTANCE ARMY (LRA) FIGHTERS. UGANDA HAS DENIED ITS SOLDIERS WERE INVOLVED. "WE KNOW THAT THE UGANDAN TROOPS WHO CAME INTO THE CONGO ARE WELL ARMED AND HAVE TANKS. THERE IS FIGHTING GOING ON IN GARAMBA NATIONAL PARK (50 KM, OR 30 MILES, WEST OF ABA)," A CONGOLESE GOVERNMENT SOURCE SAID. "THEIR FIREPOWER IS SUPERIOR TO OURS IN THE AREA," HE SAID, ADDING UGANDA'S FOREIGN MINISTER WAS EXPECTED TO COME TO CONGO SOON TO DISCUSS THE SITUATION. --MORE 2240 Local Time 1940 GMT
