Uganda announced on Wednesday that its troops had “taken control” of security in Bunia, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, and are collaborating with Congolese police to combat local militias.
The move came as the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group seized territory further south in the neighbouring North and South Kivu regions, heightening worries of a regional conflict.
“Working with our Congolese counterparts, Uganda sent troops to Bunia, and the forces of the two countries have taken control of the security situation to stop further killings,” Uganda’s Foreign Minister Henry Oryem told AFP.
Bunia is the capital of Ituri province, where Uganda has thousands of troops under an arrangement with Kinshasa.
They work alongside the DRC military to combat the Allied Democratic military, which has been linked to the Islamic State group, and tribal militias.
Credit: REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic
Oryem stated that the offensive was intended to “deal with armed elements, including the remnants of Allied Democratic Forces who may still be active in areas under our cooperation agreement.”
Oryem and the defence ministry refused to reveal the actual number of Ugandan troops stationed in Bunia or whether the government intended to send more troops to the city.
According to military officials and analysts, Uganda has between 5,000 and 7,000 troops deployed there.
On Tuesday, Ugandan military spokesperson Felix Kulayigye told AFP that the country had deployed alongside DRC soldiers in “joint operations to save lives” following “massacres” committed by local militia.
However, in the immensely complex dynamics of the region, UN experts and others have accused Uganda of working against Congolese interests by helping the M23 and controlling some of the country’s important mining holdings.
Uganda has fiercely disputed the allegations.
Daniel van Dalen, a senior analyst at South Africa-based consultancy Signal Risk, believes that the Ugandan move is now “a very localised issue.”
“I don’t think right now it has anything to do with the M23 conflict,” he told AFP.
“Uganda is quite far away from where M23 is for the moment.”
However, with numerous other organisations engaging in the disturbance in the region, he stated, “Uganda is concerned about a spillover into its territory and is willing to assist.”
