Uganda and Congo attack militia in joint operation
Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo carried out joint air and artillery strikes against an Islamic State-linked militia in eastern Congo on Tuesday, both countries said.
Three witnesses said Ugandan troops also crossed the border into Congo at Nobili in the afternoon.
However, Congo government spokesman Patrick Muyaya denied Ugandan soldiers had crossed, but Ugandan army spokeswoman Flavia Byekwaso said they had.
The strikes targeted the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) militia, which has been based in Congo since the late 1990s and is accused of killing hundreds of villagers in raids after it pledged allegiance to Islamic State in mid-2019 .
“The targets were accurately hit and operations against the terrorists will continue as we look for other targets of opportunity during ground operations,” Ugandan army spokeswoman Byekwaso said in a statement.
“As announced, the targeted and concerted actions with the Ugandan army started today with air strikes and artillery fire from Uganda on the positions of ADF terrorists in the DRC,” Congo spokesman Patrick Muyaya said on Twitter.
Joint offensive
The joint offensive is the first time Uganda has publicly intervened against the ADF in Congo since a brief campaign in December 2017.
A local official and a resident said they heard explosions on Tuesday morning in Watalinga territory, North Kivu province, in the borderlands of eastern Congo.
“There is a real panic here at home, especially because we were not informed of this situation,” said resident Julien Ngandayabo.
“We have suffered too much with the ADF, who have massacred our families. We are waiting to see if this is the solution.”
At around 4:15 pm (1415 GMT), Fabien Malule, a resident of the Congolese border town of Nobili, said he saw many Ugandan troops enter Congolese territory with their weapons.
“Today it is really a joy for some inhabitants here in Nobili. For me personally, as we have suffered too much, I prefer to wait for the result of their fight,” Malule said.
RISKY INTERVENTION
A Congo army spokesman, Antony Mwalushay, said three ADF fighters were killed and three wounded during intense fighting at the Semuliki bridge, which connects the city of Beni to Uganda, adding that “One Congolese soldier was killed.”
A triple suicide bombing in the Ugandan capital Kampala on November 16, which killed seven people, including the bombers, was the third Islamic State has claimed in the east African nation.
Ugandan authorities reacted by declaring that they could enter Congo to hunt down the militia in self-defence.
Reuters/Olajumoke Adeleke
