President Museveni has promised Ugandans to destroy the terrorist rebels who come from the forests of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
In his end-of-year address in 2023 on December 31st, President Museveni spoke about the country’s current situation.
In 11-page speech, President Museveni discussed four important topics: promoting wealth creation in Ugandan homes, combating corruption, embracing regional integration, and addressing the threat of terrorists from Congo.
Regarding the issue of terrorism in Congo, President Museveni stated that Uganda will continue to eradicate terrorist activities in the DR Congo using airstrike, as it fastest and can reach anywhere.
“We are continuing to destroy those terrorists in Congo, primarily using air attacks because they are faster and reach every where ,” said President Yoweri Museveni.
Museveni explained that these terrorists are crossing the border and attacking unarmed civilians with bombs. Despite this, the country will not close the border as it would endanger the lives of Congolese and Ugandans.
“They are able to do this because the border cannot be closed. It is long and has multiple crossing points, including many in the bush. Furthermore, we do not want to close the border and disrupt the lives of our Congolese and Ugandan brothers and sisters,” said Museveni.
Museveni concluded his speech by urging the Ugandan people, who he affectionately calls “Bazukulu,” to be cautious when approached by anyone wanting to hold their bag or package. He advised them to insist on it being opened and to call the police if they notice anything suspicious, such as a mobile phone inside.
Since 1996, the Ugandan army, UPDF, has been combating the Allied Democratic Force (ADF), an Islamist rebel group residing in the forests of the DRC. As recently on December 13th, 2023, President Museveni announced that UPDF forces killed 200 ADF fighters in an attack that occurred on September 16th, 2023. The fight against this group in the Congolese forests is ongoing.