Four members of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces-UPDF have died since November 2021 when the forces together with their Congolese counterparts raided camps of Allied Democratic Front rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo –DRC.
The operation commander Maj. Gen. Kayanja Muhanga says that one soldier was killed in crossfire with the rebels during the first phase of the operation, while the other three died due to individual errors, and as a result of rough terrain in the jungle.
He added that when the ADF group was ousted out of the Virunga Forest in phase one of the operation, they fled into two directions; south towards Rwenzori mountains and north of Kainama-Tchabi and Boga into Ituri province noting that the group has since scattered into smaller groups as a tactic to overstretch the forces.
Gen. Muhanga said that despite the losses, the army has made tremendous gains since November dislodging the ADF from their strong camps in Virunga forest and this has seen reduced killing of the innocent people in those areas.
He said that the major aim of the operation is not limited to pushing ADF out of Eastern DRC but ultimately to neutralise them.
According to, Lt. Col Gonzaga Gonza Kworekwa, the head of Intelligence Analysis Cell-Operation Shuja, said they have discovered that most of the fighters are children who were taken as captives before they were indoctrinated with rebel motives.
He mentions that if the joint force maintains the current momentum, soon the operation agenda will be achieved and Eastern DRC will return to normalcy.
