1000 LDUs deployed at Uganda- Congo border
The Uganda People’s Defense Forces has deployed over 1000 Local Defense Unit personnel along the Uganda Congo border to beef up security along the border, the Nile Post has learnt.
The LDUs passed out in July will be working with the UPDF soldiers that have been deployed since 2015 to secure the country against attacks from the Allied Defense Forces rebels and ensure security along the porous Ugandan boarders
Keep Reading
The development has been confirmed by the deputy army spokesperson Lt.col Deo Akiiki.
“They (LDUs) will help beef up security and monitor movements and any occurrences in areas they are deployed in,”Lt.Col Akiiki said.
The deputy army spokesperson explained that the deployment was not as a result of any attack from the ADF rebels but as a result of tribal clashes in DRC.
“It is not ADF that got involved in clashes but tribal fights between Lendu and Ngeti on one side fighting against Bahuma and Geri in Kyoma, ending up bringing refugees to Ugandan side areas of Ntoroko.”
He insisted that despite the tribal conflicts taking place 50 kilometers from the Ugandan border, refugees moved and settled in Ntoroko which is on the Ugandan side from DRC.
According to Akiiki, because the border has remained volatile, the army leadership chose to keep permanent deployment.
“The deployment did not cease after the attack on UN peacekeepers,” the deputy army spokesperson said.
“We would like to assure everyone that Ugandan borders are still safe and deployments will be maintained to take care of insecurity skirmishes that would occur.”
The ADF, a Ugandan rebel outfit last year killed at least 14 Tanzanian United Nations peacekeepers and wounded 53 others in a raid on their base in the North Kivu province of DRC in what has been described as the deadliest attack on UN forces in the recent years.
The UPDF would later in a preemptive move, attack and destroy eight ADF rebel camps.
