In the Democratic Republic of Congo, President Félix Tshisekedi announced, on Saturday October 12, the continuation of military cooperation between the Congolese army and the Ugandan army in the fight against the ADF rebels in the provinces of North Kivu and Ituri. The decision was validated after a meeting to evaluate operations in the Congolese capital from October 10 to 11, 2024 between the chiefs of staff of the Congolese and Ugandan armed forces. The announcement of the continuation of this military cooperation comes as Uganda is accused by civil society of supporting the M23 rebels.
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With our correspondent in the DRC, Heir Baraka
According to the Congolese presidency, on his X account (formerly Twitter), the head of state gave clear instructions for the strengthening of military cooperation between the DRC and theUganda in order to eradicate insecurity in the provinces of North Kivu and Ituri.
Joint operations
Joint operations between the Congolese army and the Ugandan army were launched on November 30, 2021 against the ADF, allied with the Islamic Stateaccused of being the authors of the massacres of hundreds of civilians in these provinces.
According to the two armies, several achievements and advances have been noted on the ground. Colonel Mak Hazukay, spokesperson for UPDF and FARDC operations, said that 52 Allied Democratic Forces fighters were killed and 72 others captured between April and September 2024.
Clarification of diplomatic relations
In August 2024, civil society in Ituri, North and South Kivu asked the Congolese government to clarify diplomatic relations with Uganda, which also supports the rebels of M23also supported by Rwanda.
The latest report from UN experts accuses Uganda of having facilitated meetings of M23-AFC executives in Uganda. Those close to General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, commander of the Ugandan forces, were singled out in this report. The latter, in his statements on his X account, does not hide his sympathy for the M23.
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