Following the four deadly bomb attacks that terrorized Kampala city, Uganda’s capital over the past month, the government of Uganda is seeking international and regional allies to go after the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) in their Congo hide out.
While addressing the nation on Saturday 20th Nov, Uganda’s President Museveni, without revealing much detail said he was in talks with his counterpart Felix Tshisekedi of Congo and other African presidents to launch attacks on the ADF.
Uganda is treading lightly this time on the invasion of the ADF on their home territory because in the past this has caused a lot of up roar from neighboring countries especially the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) where the rebels have their main bases. Uganda and Rwanda in 1996 joined forces to liberate the DRC then Zaire, from President Mobutu but it didn’t end well for both countries as they were later taken to court by the DRC.
The state Minister for Foreign Affairs Henry Okello-Oryem said Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) have delayed to attack the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) inside the neighbouring country awaiting a green light from Kinshasa and the international community.
“You cannot just rush into someone’s land. However, we have the right to hot pursuit and self-defence. In order for Uganda to act in self-defence, it needs legitimacy,” he said.
He added that the last time Uganda went to DRC, it was accused of plunder and the case is still in court, a thing they do not wish to be accused us of this time.
The government is making sure that this time, it has the legal backing from the international community and neighboring states so as to continue its offensive against the rebel group.
The Allied Democratic Forces have continued causing insecurity in and around Uganda. The ADF is and has violated many laws and children’s rights not limited to a right to education, the right to play and have a childhood.
In recently released video clips, a radicalized child who looks not more than 15 years is heard telling the people of Uganda that the ADF is coming for them.
In another clip, it is clear that the ADF is recruiting young people from Uganda as a young man is heard speaking in Rukonzo a local dialect spoken by the Bakonzo of western Uganda. This goes to show that the rebel group is actively operating not only in DRC but also in Uganda.
President Museveni has continuously attributed the murders of top government officials to the ADF. He mentioned that the rebel group orchestrated the murders of Joan Kagezi, Muhammad Kiggundu, Felix Kaweesi, Muhammad Kirumira and Muslim Sheikhs and the attempted assassination of General Katumba Wamala.
It is on this premise that the Ugandan government wants to attack the ADF and be done with them once and for all for the good of the nation and region as a whole with no legal consequences to Uganda.
The move to attack ADF from their Congo hide out would not only yield peace results for Uganda but also Congo whose natives have suffered multiple plunders by the group.
