Uganda on Friday revealed that the apprehended leader of a militia group, implicated in the murder of two foreign tourists last month, had also been responsible for a gruesome school massacre in June, resulting in the deaths of numerous individuals.
On Thursday, the military disclosed that it had captured the leader of a unit within the notorious Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) militia during an operation that resulted in the deaths of six other combatants.
Uganda has attributed responsibility to the ADF, an affiliate of the Islamic State group, for both the killing of the honeymooning tourists and their local guide in October, as well as the tragic school assault, claiming the lives of 42 individuals, with the majority being students.
During the late-night assault on the school in Mpondwe, situated near the Democratic Republic of Congo border, victims were subjected to hacking, shooting, and burning.
The assault marked the most severe attack of its nature in Uganda since 2010.
The ADF stands as the most lethal among numerous armed groups that afflict the volatile eastern Congo region. They have been accused of massacring thousands of civilians in the area and conducting cross-border assaults.
Major General Dick Olum, in charge of Uganda’s military operations against the ADF in the Congo, identified the mastermind behind the attacks as Abdul Rashid Kyoto, also known as Njovu, who was apprehended during a late Tuesday raid.
He informed media that the military had received intelligence indicating that Njovu had also orchestrated an attack across the border in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) last week, resulting in the deaths of two Ugandan soldiers and two civilians.
“There is correlation (between) the three attacks and the command by Njovu,” Olum said.
“We have a lot of intelligence about ADF. We know who has been carrying out these missions to kill people.”
“This operation that led to the capture of Njovu… should reassure Ugandans and visitors coming to Uganda that with ongoing operations, Uganda is safe and ADF will be defeated,” Olum said.
Simultaneously, on Thursday, a Ugandan court handed down sentences ranging from seven to ten years in prison to seven individuals who faced a variety of charges related to their affiliations with the ADF.
The accused, which included a 75-year-old individual, had admitted to their involvement in a “terrorist organization,” as well as charges related to financing terrorism and trafficking children for recruitment into the ADF.
One also pleaded guilty to recruiting his own children into ADF ranks and to rape.
