Uganda Scales Up Security As ADF Kills 10 In Bomb Attacks Along Uganda- DR Congo Border
Police spokesperson, Fred Enanga has cautioned the general public to be vigilant following the Sunday bomb attack on Uganda- DR Congo border that killed over 10 people and left over 39 people wounded.
According to Enanga, the incident is an indicator that terrorism can occur anywhere and anytime, asking members of the public to be vigilant.
“This incident reminds us of the terrorist threats we face as a country. It shows there is an existing terror threat environment in Uganda but our joint teams of Police counter-terrorism, Crime Intelligence, CMI, and other security agencies continue to operate with a heightened state of readiness,” Enanga said while addressing the media on Monday.
The Bombing attacks happened on Sunday at an evangelical church in Kasindi, four kilometers from the Ugandan border with eastern DR Congo and the attack has been claimed by Islamic State jihadists.
Kasindi, where the attack happened is also about eight kilometers away from Beni where the ADF is active in the DRC.
In his address, Enanga explained that the incident comes 425 days after the double attacks at the Central Police Station and Parliamentary Avenue all in Kampala in November 2021 which later saw Ugandan security launch operations to dismantle sleeper cells for ADF in the country, noting that since then, about 29 terror-related incidents have been under investigations and several weapons and improvised explosive devices recovered.
“We want to show you that terrorism as a threat exists in our country and counter-terrorism teams have been doing their best to counter several incidents. In the many interrogations carried out, there is evidence that has shown that these are groups carrying out attacks on Ugandans and police attacks. We want to show the public that ADF terror cells are real and we have tried our best to dismantle them. What happened in eastern DRC is not something new. We are aware of the threats but we are doing our best to prevent, disrupt and dismantle the ADF cells,” Enanga noted.
According to Enanga, security has stopped the movement of passenger and cargo boats along Lake Albert at night as well as security major installations near the border with DRC
“The members of the public in Mpondwe, Kasese, and Bundibugyo should not be alarmed by these steps because they are meant for their security.”
Allied Democratic Forces(ADF) was formed in the 1990s as a Ugandan rebel group but has since been declared a terrorist outfit and has been blamed for several attacks in both Uganda and DRC.
The jihadist group has since sworn allegiance to the Islamic State group as it continues to carry out several tactics.
