A 12-member delegation from the Joint Intelligence Fusion Centre (JIFC) has today (March 29, 2024) visited the Uganda Peoples' Defence Forces Mountain Division headquarters in Muhooti Barracks, Fort Portal city.

Mountain Division Commander and overall commander of Operation Shujaa Maj. Gen. Dick Olum welcomed the delegation on Thursday, March 28, 2024, and briefed them on the latest developments regarding the operation. 

He highlighted the numerous accomplishments of the joint operation between the UPDF and the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) to the delegation.

The 12-member team led by Col. James Kateera came as part of the centre's regular visits that were conducted in areas where state agencies are fighting the various rebel groups in the Great Lakes region, especially the Democratic Republic of Congo.

"We came here to be on the spot, where things are being done, to get more information and to meet those fighting the various rebel groups," Kateera said.

Kateera thanked Olum for the detailed presentation and said that the team's (JIFC) understanding of ADF and Operation Shujaa had greatly been enhanced by the presentation.

According to Maj. Bilal Katamba, the UPDF Mountain Division/Operation Shujaa spokesperson, ICGLR was formed in 2006, to among other things find a lasting solution to security challenges in the region and promote peace, security and stability to harness development opportunities in the Great Lakes Region.

Katamba said the JIFC is one of the sub-organs of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) that is charged with the collection of information on non-state armed groups in the region, especially the DRC. The centre has its headquarters in Goma, South Kivu DRC

Katamba says members of the centre are drawn from member countries of the ICGLR, which, include Angola, Burundi, Central Africa Republic, the Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Republic of South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania and Zambia