Museveni, regional army chiefs meet over ADF

Security. President Museveni (left) speaks to regional army chiefs at State House Entebbe on Monday. PPU PHOTO.

What you need to know:

Together. A UPDF statement says the army and intelligence chiefs from the East African Community member states agreed on the concerted effort to fight the rebel group.

Earlier attack. In December last year, the UPDF attacked the ADF bases using planes and long range artillery. But President Museveni offered to deploy UPDF in DR Congo if his Congolese counterpart allowed deployment of the Ugandan military.

KAMPALA. President Museveni and regional army chiefs met on Monday at State House, Entebbe, and discussed the security threats posed by the rebels of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), who have been attacking the UN peacekeepers in DR Congo.

The UPDF spokesperson, Brig Richard Karemire, said in a statement yesterday that the army and intelligence chiefs from the East African Community member states agreed on the concerted effort to fight the rebel group that killed three DR Congo soldiers on Monday.

“The meeting agreed that the ADF is now a threat to the region and, therefore, requires a coordinated regional approach to tackle it. The ADF is now also reported to be in alliance with elements of The al-Shabaab, as well as the ISIS,” the statement reads, in part.

The Monday attack came two days after the Congolese army announced an offensive on Saturday against the rebel group.
The ADF is one of many armed groups operating in North Kivu and South Kivu — the two provinces which border Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania.

Brig Karemire said the meeting agreed to enhance intelligence sharing on the rebels currently accused by the UN and the DR Congo government of killing more than 700 civilians in eastern DR Congo since 2014.

“The meeting further urged the countries that have not deployed their officers to the Joint Follow-up mechanism in Kasese to do so without further deĺay. Such deployment as envisaged will enhance the exchange of Intelligence”

The rebel group is also accused of killing 14 UN peacekeepers in eastern DR Congo last month, the biggest single loss of peacekeepers in nearly a quarter of a century.
Earlier attack. In December last year, the UPDF attacked the ADF bases using planes and long range artillery. But President Museveni offered to deploy UPDF in DR Congo if his Congolese counterpart allowed deployment of the Ugandan military.