Uganda is set to withdraw some of its troops that are deployed in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the Chief of Defence Forces in the UPDF, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba said.
“We announce that we are ready to withdraw from all our positions from Lubero to Mahagi in Eastern DRC, in coordination with the DRC government,” Gen Kainerugaba wrote on X on Wednesday night.
The development is said to have been caused by the growing tensions between the Ugandan troops and local authorities in the area.
The tension is said to be caused by the Ituri area military governor, Lieutenant General Johnny Luboya Nkashama.
“All UPDF troops will withdraw from Lubero in the next few days if the Governor of Ituri is not changed,” Gen Muhoozi said on Wednesday.
It is understood that the friction stems from Lt Gen Nkashama barring Ugandan troops from acceding some of the area’s points in the hunt for ADF rebels.
This state of affairs has been viewed by Uganda as efforts to frustrate their efforts to effectively deal with ADF.
Reports indicated that recently, Lt. Gen. Nkashama stopped the UPDF from using the Anzida and Karombo border posts in the latter’s bid to pursue ADF remnants.
It is also reported that President Felix Tshisekedi recently turned down requests by Uganda to have Nkashama removed at governor.
Speaking on Wednesday, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba reaffirmed that the relationship between Uganda and DRC is still strong.
The Operation
In November 2021, Uganda launched a joint military offensive with the Congolese army Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) in Eastern DRC aimed at eliminating ADF terrorist bases in eastern Congo, with initial action involving air and artillery strikes.
These strikes were followed by ground troops which have dealt a huge blow to ADF in Eastern DRC as several camps have been wiped out, senior commanders and fighters killed and others captured alive while several abductees have been freed.
However, because of persistent fire from the UPDF, ADF rebels have adapted and moved into new areas.
While traditionally based in North Kivu's Beni territory, the ADF has significantly expanded its operations into Ituri province since 2021, having moved northwards.
Also, the group designated as a terrorist outfit has also shifted toward more remote, heavily forested areas further west, away from the Uganda border, to avoid direct confrontation with military forces.
It is also reported that ADF is now is now increasingly using hit-and-run tactics, along with, in some cases, exploiting chaos to expand its reach deeper into the central/northern part of the eastern DRC .