Ugandan troops have been sent to Bunia, the capital of Ituri province in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
This deployment is part of a broader military collaboration with the Congolese forces (FARDC), who are grappling with significant threats from various rebel groups aiming to dominate the mineral-rich area.
The leadership of the Uganda People’s Defense Forces (UPDF) confirmed this initiative, emphasizing that their troops are there to combat local militias.
Ugandan military spokesman Felix Kulayigye stated to AFP, “There were massacres being committed by some militia groups, and we agreed with our Congolese counterparts to carry out joint operations to save lives.”
Ugandan forces have been working in conjunction with Congolese troops against the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF).
The deployment comes at the time when the East African Community (EAC) and Southern African Development Community (SADC) continue discussions on how to address the escalating security crisis in the DRC, including pressure on Rwanda to withdraw its troops and halt support for M23 rebels.
Uganda’s military chief, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, issued an ultimatum to the rebel factions, to lay down their arms.
“If they don’t, we shall consider them enemies and attack them,” Kainerugaba declared in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Bunia is a strategic city, serving as a major administrative and economic hub in Ituri province. Its occupation by joint Ugandan and Congolese forces signals a broader military effort to secure key urban centers and critical infrastructure in eastern DRC.
The cooperation between UPDF and FARDC reflects increasing regional military collaboration in countering insurgencies in eastern DRC, particularly in the wake of continued instability caused by M23 rebels in North and South Kivu and ADF militants in Ituri and North Kivu.
