Uganda: Attempted church bombings

According to New Vision reporting on 15 October 2023, two pastors in Kibibi, Butambala District, had been sent public address systems linked to bombs. These were spotted and subsequently defused. In a public speech, President Museveni was quick to blame ADF, stating that such attempts were a result of pressure being exerted by Ugandan forces on ADF bases in eastern Congo. Earlier in September, another church bomb plot was thwarted in Central Uganda, as reported by Africa News on 4 September 2023. Hundreds of people were evacuated from the Rubaga Miracle Centre Cathedral in Kampala after a 28 year old man tried to enter with a bomb in his rucksack. Civilians were also targeted in attacks by suspected ADF militants on 12 October and 17 October. In the latter attack, three tourists and a guide were killed in the Queen Elizabeth National Park (VOA, 17 October 2023).

World Watch Research analysts Yonas Dembele comments: “The thwarted church bomb plots reveal a clear anti-Christian agenda, adding a layer of religious tension to an already volatile security situation. The attacks on tourists in the national park adds an economic dimension to the crisis, potentially affecting Uganda's tourism industry, which is a significant source of revenue. President Museveni might well be correct in stating that ADF is lashing out in response to the significant military pressure exerted by Ugandan airstrikes on ADF bases in eastern Congo.”