Ugandan security on alert after bomb attack near border with DRC

Ugandan security has been put on alert after a Sunday afternoon church bomb attack inside DRC near the border that killed over 10 and left scores injured.

At least 10 people were killed and 39 wounded on Sunday in a bomb attack on a church in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo which has since been claimed by Islamic State jihadists.

The incident happened at an evangelical church in Kasindi, four kilometres from the Ugandan border at Mpondwe.

Kasindi, where the attack happened is also about eight kilometres away from Beni where the ADF is active in the DRC.

Addressing journalists on Monday, joint security spokesperson, Fred Enanga said the incident is an indicator that terrorism can occur anywhere and anytime, asking members of the public to be vigilant.

“This incident reminds us of terrorist threats we face as a country. It shows there is an existing terror threat environment in Uganda but our joint teams  of Police counter terrorism, Crime Intelligence, CMI and other security agencies continue to operation with a heightened state of readiness,” Enanga said.

The police spokesperson explained that the incident comes 425 days since the double attacks at the Central Police Station and Parliamentary Avenue all in Kampala in November 2021 .

Enanga explained that the attacks saw Ugandan security launch operations to dismantle sleeper cells for ADF in the country, noting that since then, about 29 terror related incidents have been under investigations and several weapons and improvised explosive devices recovered.

He said the operations have been carried out in several parts of the country which also led to the arrest of suspects behind the recent wave of police stations, personnel and robbing their buns.

“We want to show you that terrorism as a threat exists in our country and counter terrorism teams have been doing their best to counter several incidents. In the many interrogations carried out, there is evidence that has shown that these are groups carrying out attacks on Ugandans and police attacks. We want to show the public that ADF terror cells are real and we have tried our best to dismantle them.”

“What happened in eastern DRC is not something new. We are aware of the threats but we are doing our best to prevent, disrupt and dismantle the ADF cells.”

According to Enanga, security has stopped the movement of passenger and cargo boats along Lake Albert at night as well as security major installations near the border with DRC

“The members of the public in Mpondwe, Kasese and  Bundibugyo should not be alarmed by these steps because they  are meant for their security.”

ADF

Allied Democratic Forces(ADF) was formed in the 1990s as a Ugandan rebel group  but  has since been declared as a terrorist outfit has been blamed for several attacks in both Uganda and DRC.

The jihadist group has since sworn allegiance to Islamic State group as it continues to carry out several tactics.

A team of independent UN experts recently said ADF was changing tactics, opting for "more visible and more lethal" bomb attacks in urban areas.