By Spurb Ernest

Addressing journalists in Kampala regarding the 44th Tarehe Sita celebrations, UPDF Deputy Spokesperson Colonel Deo Akiiki revealed that several Ugandans have expressed concerns about border safety and suggested withdrawing Ugandan troops from Congo. However, Akiiki clarified that Ugandan troops are not involved in the fighting in Goma.

Deo Akiiki English

The Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) has reaffirmed its commitment to continuing Operation Shujaa in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, despite the ongoing fighting. The March 23 Movement (M23) rebels captured the city of Goma on Monday after fierce fighting with the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) and their coalition, which lasted several days.

The capture of Goma has resulted in protests in DRC’s capital, Kinshasa, with several embassies, including Uganda’s, being attacked by protesters who demand that those countries, including Uganda and Rwanda, stop interfering in Congolese affairs.

Despite the ongoing fighting between M23 and the Congolese armed forces, UPDF has said its operations in Congo will continue. Even though their Congolese counterparts are now fully focused on fighting M23, to reclaim lost territories from the rebel group.

Addressing journalists in Kampala regarding the 44th Tarehe Sita celebrations, UPDF Deputy Spokesperson Colonel Deo Akiiki revealed that several Ugandans have expressed concerns about border safety and suggested withdrawing Ugandan troops from Congo. However, Akiiki clarified that Ugandan troops are not involved in the fighting in Goma.

“I want to assure all Ugandans that all our borders are still safe, and we can assure that they will continue being safe because we have all the capabilities to keep them safe amidst the fighting in our neighboring countries,” Akiiki said.

Akiiki has confirmed that Operation Shujaa will continue uninterrupted. According to Akiiki, the Ugandan forces conducting the operation have not faced any antagonism. “We haven’t received any information that our forces conducting Operation Shujaa have been antagonized with their operations or any complaint from our friends from Congo,” Akiiki stated.

Uganda’s army has been in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) since 2021 as part of Operation Shujaa, a joint military initiative aimed at neutralizing the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a terrorist group responsible for numerous atrocities in the region.

However, regional security observers have raised concerns that the mission may be linked to Uganda’s economic interests, particularly in the gold sector, sparking further conflicts in Ituri and North Kivu provinces, which are rich in natural resources.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *