DRC/Uganda: ADF militants cross border once again

As reported by BBC News on 19 May 2024, Ugandan security forces are on high alert after militants belonging to radical Islamic Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) have again entered the country. The ADF has a history of violent attacks on urban areas, places of worship, schools and public events in Uganda.

World Watch Research analyst Yonas Dembele comments: “The ADF was initially set up in Uganda in the 1990s, but fled to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) after being routed by the army. Operating in areas where the DRC government has little control, the ADF was designated a terrorist group by the US State Department in March 2021. Despite joint efforts by Ugandan and DRC forces to eliminate the group, it has continued to successfully carry out deadly attacks. The recent border crossing is of grave concern for Christians, as the group has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group and is known to target Christians, as occurred in a brutal boarding school attack in June 2023 (CNN, 17 June 2023).”