At least 10 civilians were brutally burned to death in a predawn attack on a Ugandan town near the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Ugandan police confirmed Tuesday. The assailants, identified as members of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a notorious Congolese militia linked to the Daesh terror group, stormed the trading center of Kamwenge around 2:00 am local time, wielding submachine guns and leaving a trail of carnage.
“Preliminary findings indicate that 10 armed individuals attacked and fatally burned 10 civilians,” stated regional police spokesman Vincent Twesige, highlighting the horrific nature of the assault. The attackers also set fire to a motorcycle and looted a local store before fleeing across the border, prompting Ugandan authorities to deploy the army in pursuit.
This brutal attack comes amidst escalating tensions in the region. Just days ago, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni claimed the Ugandan air force had neutralized at least 200 ADF rebels in airstrikes launched within Congolese territory. However, the latest incident demonstrates the group’s continued ability to inflict terror across the border.
The ADF, established in the eastern DRC in 1995, holds a grim reputation as one of the deadliest armed groups in the region. Known for its massacres, kidnappings, and looting, the group’s estimated death toll runs into the thousands. Notably, in June 2023, a gruesome attack by ADF militants near the DRC border claimed the lives of 42 people, including 37 students, in one of Uganda’s deadliest incidents since the 2010 Kampala bombings.
Adding to the complexity of the situation, the ADF has declared allegiance to Daesh since April 2019, earning the designation of “Islamic State Central Africa Province.” UN experts have confirmed financial support from Daesh to the ADF since at least 2019, while the United States added the group to its list of Daesh-linked terrorist organizations in 2022.
As Ugandan authorities pursue the perpetrators and grapple with the aftermath of this brutal attack, the incident underscores the ongoing security challenges faced by the region and the intricate web of violence perpetrated by the ADF and its Daesh connection. With tensions simmering on both sides of the border, the fragile peace in eastern DRC and western Uganda remains under constant threat.
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