Museveni: “We’re ready for phase two of flushing out ADF rebels from Congo”

President Museveni has expressed readiness for the second phase of flushing out the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) from Eastern Congo to go ahead.

Museveni made the assurance on Sunday, January 30, while addressing a delegation of security chiefs from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) at State Lodge Nakasero.

The delegation was led by Congo’s Minister in charge of National Defence Unit Dr. Gilbert Kabanda Kurhenga.

Delivering his remarks, Museveni assured the people of Uganda and Congo that the joint operations by UPDF and FARDC will yield total peace.

“We should really work together and finish this problem. This was phase one. We are now ready for phase two. It is very easy for us to destroy those groups,” Museveni said.

UPDF and FARDC launched joint operations dubbed ‘Operation Shujaa’ against ADF in Eastern Congo on November 30, 2021 with bombardment on four major terrorist camps.

Since then, the two forces have captured several camps including the famous Kambi Ya Yua and secured major routes in Eastern Congo to enable ground battle teams to pursue ADF rebels, who have fled to the thick forests.

Despite the progress, Museveni advised government of DRC to intensify regional and local security mechanisms to avoid further insurgencies especially in areas already secured by the joint forces.

“Our experience here is that, once you attack concentrations of the terrorists and they see that you have the capacity, they can’t challenge you army to army, they now go to pure terrorism. They break into small groups and they go to attack villagers,“ Museveni said

Museveni made mention of five elements needed to strengthen security which include using mobile forces, zonal forces, local defence units per village, strategic forces (air forces, artillery) and to lesser - extent special forces.

He said these will later prevent pockets of terrorism where rebels return to attack villagers and kill people ending up discrediting government.

“That’s why for us, we add the third force. These are called local defence units per village where there’s a threat. And they don’t have to be many. When the other people come to kill villagers, they will be there to repulse them,” he said.

At the same meeting Ugandan Minister for Defence and Veteran Affairs Vincent Bamulangaki Ssempijja and his counterpart from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Gilbert Kurhenga Kabanda signed the bilateral general agreement on Defence cooperation that will ensure joint operations between the armies of both countries.

Operation Shujaa is being implemented following a Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of Uganda and their DRC counterparts to conduct joint operations for the eradication of ADF and other foreign-armed groups in the eastern part of DRC.