‘You’ve Done An Incredible Job’ -Museveni Applauds UPDF Commandos In The Airforce Wing For Crushing ADF Terrorists During Operation Shujaa In DR Congo
By Uganda Online Media
Kampala: President Museveni has applauded Uganda’s people’s Defence forces (UPF) soldiers for neutralizing Allied Democratic Forces( ADF) terrorists in the Democratic Republic of Congo under Operation Shujaa.
While meeting a contingent of Men and Officers of the Uganda Air Force Wing at Entebbe Air Base that recently participated in Operation Shujaa this afternoon, Museveni noted the Men and Officers especially the Uganda Airforce Wing did an excellent job in neutralizing the ADF which has torn apart the Eastern part of DR Congo.
“The lion lives in the jungle, not on the roads, the road lion is for the zoo. Our Airforce can do many things easily. This is a capacity we should enhance” President Yoweri Museveni who is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Uganda Peoples Defense Forces (UPDF) addressed the Airforce, congratulating them on their build-up of the force nucleus that was started in 1986 and is now a formidable force in modern warfare” Museveni noted.
“You have done a good job in operation shujaa! Aircrafts hit targets quickly, accurately, in surprise attacks and quite devastating, The artillery and infantry were all doing great. Let me take this opportunity to thank you and to encourage you all,” he added.
Museveni further promised to address concerns raised by the leadership of the Uganda Airforce including upgrading the Nakasongola Airforce Base, and procurement of aircraft parts in view of the Ukrain-Russian war and army welfare.
Meanwhile, the Chief of Defence Forces Gen. Wilson Mbadi also applauded Museveni for interacting with the forces, especially those that participated in Operation Shuja.
“The Airforce played a big role in Operation Shuja, bombing bases of the enemy and softening the grounds helped in the delivery of supplies and troops in isolated areas. This coupled with air defence, intelligence, surveillance reconnaissance, battle assessment and combing the Rwenzoris to pursue remnants of ADF so that we don’t leave any enemy behind us to cause havoc when we go ahead,” he said.
UPDF together with the Congo forces in November last year launched air, artillery and ground attacks against ADF rebels in eastern DR Congo in a move against the Islamist militants.
This followed terror attacks on Uganda’s capital Kampala and other places where several lives were lost.
The ADF has for several years operated in the volatile North Kivu which borders other provinces including Ituri to the north and South Kivu to the South and has been a battleground for a number of rival armed ethnic groups since 1998.
The province consists of three cities including; Goma, Butembo and Beni as well as six territories Beni, Lubero, Masisi, and Rutshuru.
According to the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, the ADF which was designated as a terrorist group by the US government has used the name Madina at Tauheed Wau Mujahedeen (City of Monotheism and Holy Warriors (MTM) to refer to emphasize its links to the Islamic State.
In 2019, the Islamic State claimed responsibility for an ADF attack and first referenced a “Central Africa Province”.
The organization is led by Musa Baluku, who served as a senior ADF Islamic legal official before consolidating power following Mukulu’s 2015 arrest.
The group has been blamed for last year’s bomb attacks in Kampala which killed over seven people.
Following the launch of an operation against the group in the thick DRC forests by a joint force of the UPDF and FADRC, the ADF rebels were said to have fled their hideouts and were roaming in the thick jungles after their lives were made difficult for them.
Consequently, the group has been carrying out attacks on several villages and towns where they know the joint forces are not present and looting food and animals.
Operation Shujaa is under the command of Maj. Gen. Kayanja Muhanga. The UPDF contingent comprises artillery, armoured, infantry and Special Forces.
