Unite against ADF rebels, UPDF tells Ugandans
UPDF land forces commander Lt Gen Kayanja Muhanga addresses a gathering in Kasese District on October 23, 2023. PHOTO/ALEX ASHABA
What you need to know:
- For Maj Gen James Birungi, local authorities must champion educating people how to identify and report suspicious characters in their areas.
The Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) has encouraged Ugandans to unite in a bid to eliminate the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels mostly operating in Kasese District and its neighbourhood.
On Monday, UPDF land forces commander Lt Gen Kayanja Muhanga called for community support to enable the Ugandan’s army’s mission of uprooting the insurgents, particularly in Queen Elizabeth National Park, where the rebels were known to hide.
“The enemy right now is at his weakest. We have killed many of their foreign fighters and many of their commanders,” stated Lt Gen Muhanga observed a week after suspected ADF rebels massacred a Ugandan tour guide and a foreign honeymoon couple.
On Monday, Lt Gen Muhanga was accompanied by the Commander of the Mountain Division and Operation Shujja, Major General Dick Olum as they sensitized residents on terrorism in the border areas of Bwera Sub-county in Kasese District.
They urged the local population to “remain vigilant and report any unknown or suspicious individuals in their areas to the security forces before terrorists cause more harm.”
Maj Gen Olum stressed that early reporting of suspicious activities or individuals would aid in the detection of potential threats before escalation.
The involvement of the local community in assisting the UPDF was recently endorsed by President Museveni, who emphasized the importance of human intelligence.
“President Museveni, in his directive does not intend for Wanainchi to be armed and sent to the frontlines to engage in combat with ADF rebels. As a strategist, he emphasizes the importance of human intelligence which involves people cooperating with the UPDF to provide information. Human intelligence is derived from the population, and this is our primary focus," UPDF told Monitor on Sunday.
For Maj Gen James Birungi, local authorities must champion educating people how to identify and report suspicious characters in their areas.
Kasese Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Lt Joe Walusimbi said they were already involving the local population in key sensitization campaigns to strengthen security.
Monday’s mobilization meeting attracted a significant audience with senior government officers, Rwenzururu Kingdom deputy Prime Minister Edwin Kugonza, senior police officers among others.
