President Yoweri Museveni has condemned ADF militants’ attack on MONUSCO peacekeepers in neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The President made the remarks on Sunday, December 24, 2017, when he visited four (04) Tanzanian MONUSCO soldiers currently admitted in Nakasero Hospital in Kampala, who suffered injuries over 2 weeks ago in an attack by militants.
14 MONUSCO soldiers died and 50 were wounded in the attack that took place in the North Kivu Region of the DRC on Friday, December 8, 2017.
President Museveni who was received at Nakasero Hospital by the Tanzanian High Commission’s First Secretary, Brig Gen. Skilder Makona, expressed his sympathy to the 4 casualties who are admitted at the hospital.
He condemned the barbaric acts of the attack. The medical personnel at the hospital assured the President that the patients are out of danger and that they will soon be alright.
Brig Gen. Makona thanked President Museveni for supporting the peacekeepers and for visiting them at the hospital.
Following the recent attack on the UN Peacekeepers, the UPDF and the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) launched Air and Artillery strikes in a combined joint operation against the Allied Democratic Forces’ positions on Friday, December 22, 2017. It has since been established that 08 enemy camps were successfully attacked.
These camps were ADF’s historical strongholds in Eastern DRC in general areas of Erengeti Triangle- North Kivu Province. They are Medina, Canada, Abia, Topoke 2, Kajaju, Camp Richard, Makayobo and Sangote.
Over 100 terrorists were annihilated with several others wounded and their logistics stores destroyed. Currently, FARDC Forces are pursuing them.
The ADF terrorists have been building up in Eastern Congo over the years. They have been recruiting, training and carrying out radicalization even of women and children while working with foreign Jihadists.
Over the years, they have conducted massacres of innocent civilians, killed United Nations peacekeepers and attracted FARDC positions.
Of recent, there have been increased signals of intended hostile activities against Uganda necessitating beefing up security along the border.
Therefore, the surgical attack on the ADF camps in Eastern DRC by the UPDF employing a combination of capabilities rose from the above reasons.
The UPDF is maintaining active defensive operations along the borderlines in the districts of Kaseses, Bundibugyo and Ntoroko to deter any of the terrorists from sneaking into our territory.
The recent attack by the ADF on the UN Peacekeepers of MONUSCO from the sister country of Tanzania is an indictment to its activities not only for Uganda and DRC but also the International Community.
UPDF shall remain committed to its covenant of protecting the wanainchi.