Uganda deploys 1,000 more troops to Eastern Congo amid tensions

Uganda has deployed more than 1,000 additional soldiers to eastern Congo in the past week, positioning them near an area where the Congolese government is engaged in combat with M23 rebels, according to four diplomatic and U.N. sources. The move has raised concerns of a potential escalation in the region.

This brings the total number of Ugandan troops in the region to approximately 4,000-5,000, as they assist the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) government, led by President Felix Tshisekedi. Rwanda, which supports the M23, has also stationed forces in eastern Congo.

Uganda’s new deployment, part of Operation Shujaa, is aimed at countering the Islamist Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), the sources said. However, the region’s complex alliances have raised questions, as Uganda has previously been accused of backing the M23, which is one of several Rwanda-supported rebel groups fighting on behalf of ethnic Tutsis in Congo.

Ugandan army spokesperson Felix Kulayigye dismissed claims of a large-scale new deployment, describing the military’s repositioning as a shift toward an “offensive defence” strategy, though he did not provide further details.

Congo’s Communications Minister, Patrick Muyaya, did not confirm the additional troop presence when asked, but emphasized that Uganda’s forces are primarily focused on combating the ADF. He acknowledged that interactions with M23 and Rwandan forces remain a possibility.

“There’s still a lot of suspicion about Uganda’s role, especially with the M23 situation,” Muyaya remarked.

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