05/21/2022 DRC (International Christian Concern) – On May 17, 2022, the Ugandan government announced that they would remove their troops from the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo after participating in Operation Shujaa with Congolese troops. The operation’s purpose was to fend off Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) in the Congo and began in December of 2021. 1,700 Ugandan soldiers fought in the Congo in one of the biggest foreign military operations in the last decade.
The Ugandan and Congolese front targeted ADF bases in the Congo. The ADF is a militant group with allegiance to the Islamic State and has attacked many villages, killing and kidnapping men, women, and children throughout the Christian-dominated country.
Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the commander of Uganda’s land forces, announced Uganda’s withdrawal decision via Twitter. Kainerugaba tweeted, “[The operation] was supposed to last for six months. Unless I get further instructions from our chief of defense forces, I will withdraw all our troops from DRC in 2 weeks.”
However, Congo government spokesman, Patrick Muyaya, stressed the need for an agreement by both countries before Uganda’s planned withdrawal. Muyaya stated in a meeting with press, “Before we decide to end what has been convened, there will be chief of staff meetings to evaluate the situation.”
With this announcement by Uganda, there was not any update on the current operation nor reason given for the troop withdrawal.
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