Uganda with DRC support bombs ADF Islamists in eastern DRC

Uganda with DRC support bombs ADF Islamists in eastern DRC

Kanako Mita and Lee Jay Walker

Modern Tokyo Times

Recent terrorist attacks in Uganda by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) have upped the military urgency of this nation. Thus, Uganda announced that it bombed the Islamist ADF inside the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The Uganda People’s Defence Force said, “This morning, we have launched joint air and artillery strikes against ADF camps with our Congolese allies.”

A spokesperson for the DRC government, Patrick Muyaya Katembwe, uttered, “Targeted and concerted action with the Ugandan army started today with airstrikes and artillery fire from Uganda against positions of the terrorist ADF in the DRC.”

The ADF originates in Uganda. However, most Islamist massacres against civilians and Christians occur in the DRC. Hence, the DRC, Kenya, and Uganda have discussed the threat of regional Islamist terrorist groups in recent times.

Regionally, this notably applies to the ADF (DRC and Uganda), al-Shabaab (Somalia and Northern Kenya), and the reported rise of the Islamic State in Central African Province (ISCAP). ISCAP and the ADF are interwoven in various parts of eastern DRC.

Sunguta West, The Jamestown Foundation, reported, “On April 21, Kenya and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) signed agreements on security and defense amid growing threats from Islamic State in Central African Province (ISCAP), which is active in the eastern DRC. The security and defense pacts provide mechanisms for cooperation between the two countries in counter-terrorism, immigration, arms smuggling, cyber security, and customs and border control. Presidents Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya and Felix Tshisekendi of the DRC signed the agreements alongside other ministers of the economic and maritime transport sectors (The Star, April 21). Nevertheless, the key focus was ISCAP, which the U.S. designated as a foreign terrorist organization in March (Sabcnews.com, March 11, 2021).”

Recent massacres by the ADF in North Kivu show increasing signs of Islamic State procedures of installing fear. This relates to beheading videos that resemble what happened in Syria and other parts of the world where this Islamist group operates.

Civilians in the DRC are increasingly alarmed by Islamist terrorist attacks. However, past intrigues by Rwanda and Uganda in the DRC also remain vivid. Therefore, it is hoped that the DRC and Uganda will work in tandem and abide by the concerns of local people.

https://jamestown.org/program/kenya-and-drc-sign-defense-pact-to-cooperate-against-islamic-state/

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