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The Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF) on Thursday, March 21, 2024, said the country is safe and secure.

Defence spokesperson Brig. Gen. Felix Kulayigye in a statement said security agencies were doing whatever it took to keep the country safe.

“Reference is made to the alert we issued to the country on March 18, 2024, about the identified Allied Democratic Forces [ADF] terrorists. Uganda is peaceful and stable. The UPDF together with other sister security agencies have foiled most of the evil plans the ADF agents had through strategic deployments and awareness campaigns amongst the population,” Kulayigye said.

He revealed that all the required security measures to keep 'our strategic assets such as the tourist sites and places of heavy settlements' have been secured and safe for normal travel.

“This is to assure Ugandans and the world at large that Uganda is safe and secure for normal business as we all keep vigilant and jealously guard the peace and social-economic transformation the country has painfully earned,” Kulayigye added.

He further said no one will be allowed to execute their evil intentions.

Call for calm

On Wednesday, Security Minister Gen. Jim Muhwezi called for calm amid reports that remnants of the Islamist-allied ADF have sneaked into the country.

He made this assurance on Wednesday, March 20, shortly after interacting with the House Committee on Presidential Affairs chaired by Jessica Ababiku (Adjumani Woman, NRM).

“The ADF is being fought in DRC by UPDF and the DRC army. So, sometimes they run here. But we are waiting for them, they are not going to harm anyone,” Muhwezi said.

“This is not a static war of positions, no. They are hiding in the population and forests and so on. So, when we hit them, they run and sometimes, they run into Uganda thinking that when they operate in Uganda, Operation Shujaa will now switch and come back to Uganda. They don’t know that we have forces in Uganda to deal with them,” he added.

The warning

On Monday, the UPDF through deputy spokesperson Col. Deo Akiiki alerted the country about this menace.

“This group is suspected to be under the command of a notorious ADF commander Ahamed Muhamood Hassan aka Abu Waqqas a Tanzanian-born ADF bomb expert. Others include, Mohamed Issa, Amigo Kibirige aka Simba, Muhamad Lumisa, and Nasser Hamid Diiru, and one of them is suspected to have been sent by Abu Waqqas for the current mission,” Akiiki disclosed.

According to security, the ADF appears to be running away from sustained joint operations by UPDF and the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) targeting their hideouts in eastern DRC. These include, Irumu, Mambasa and Kamanda.

Previous incursions

In late October last year, it is understood that 10 elements of ADF led by Kamusi and Njovu sneaked into the country through Kasese.

According to the UPDF communique, this batch was responsible for the attack on Lhubiriha Secondary School in which over 30 students lost their lives and the death of three tourists in Queen Elizabeth National Park.

ADF commander Rashid Abdul Kyoto who is accused of leading the attack on tourists in Queen Elizabeth National Park, is on April 4, 2024, expected to be committed to the High Court to stand trial.

It is also confirmed that the group was behind the unrest in Kamwenge district that transpired late last year.

“Since then, their commander a one Kamusi was killed and his second in command Njovu was captured, currently undergoing trial. The group was destroyed and operations have further scattered the ADF elements into the jungles of DRC,” UPDF stated on March 18, 2024.