Over the weekend, the Uganda Air Force attacked and destroyed three Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) camps in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The attack on the ADF camps was confirmed by President Yoweri Museveni.
The attacks come at a time when the East African Members states gave the green light for the Joint deployment of Regional Forces in Eastern DRC, to fight the negative forces of the M23 and ADF rebel groups.
“This is to inform you that on Friday the 4th of November 2022, with the permission of the DRC Government, the Uganda Air force, attacked and destroyed a big terrorist camp of ADF,” Museveni said.
He said it is important for the Africans and East Africans to know the capacity Africa possesses that can help it to solve these chronic security problems. This location is beyond the limit of exploitation that we had agreed with the Congo Government that runs the Beni−Mbau junction−Eoingeti−Komanda −Kasindi−Beni.
He said within the area Ugandan forces were allowed to operate, they destroyed all the camps the reconnaissance has identified, killed a lot of terrorists, captured others, and emancipated the much-terrorized people of the area.
“In all this, we have worked with the brother Congolese Army, the FARDC. That is why the enemy, in desperation, has now fled beyond the limit of exploitation (the boundary of our operations). The ignorant terrorists do not know that within just minutes-not hours-we can reach with deadly fire, many areas, far beyond the line of the limit of exploitation. Hence, on Friday, they got their deserved reward. Wherever they go, we shall reach them as long as the Congo Government allows us to operate with them,” he said.
Since January 2022, North Kivu and Ituri provinces in the DRC have been engulfed by insecurity and unrest. The situation remains unpredictable and complex. Thousands of Congolese have since sought refuge in Uganda.
The insecurity is being fueled by the M23 rebels and the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF). In 2021, Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF) and Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) have been carrying out operations to weed out ADF terrorists in the Eastern part of the county.
Since the launch of operations in November 2021, the joint forces captured over 34 ADF terrorists and killed and injured scores of them. Last month, the DRC renewed UPDF’S contract maintaining its presence in Felix Tshekedi’s country.
The two Forces are currently engaged in road construction and rehabilitation works to facilitate and further secure the movement of soldiers and the displaced civilian population, particularly on Mbau- Kamango and Mobili axes, Kamango-Semuliki- Beni.
Since September, authorities in DRC accused Rwanda of being behind M23 operations terrorizing Congolese.
