Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni on Friday dismissed claims that his country’s troops were preparing to engage Rwanda-backed forces in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), following their deployment to secure a Congolese town.
His remarks came amid growing concerns over escalating violence in the region, with the rapid advance of the M23 rebel group forcing Congolese troops into retreat. The situation has prompted warnings from the United Nations about the potential for a broader regional conflict.
“With the deteriorating security situation in eastern Congo, we secured the permission of the Congo government to deploy” against local militias, particularly the Islamist-linked Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), Museveni wrote in a post on X.
“Our presence in Congo, therefore, has nothing to do with fighting the M23 rebels,” he added.
The M23, a Rwanda-backed rebel group, has launched a deadly offensive in recent weeks, capturing territory across North and South Kivu provinces.
Further north, Ugandan troops have taken control of the city of Bunia in coordination with Congolese forces, Ugandan Foreign Minister Henry Oryem confirmed on Wednesday.
Museveni reiterated his stance that dialogue was the best way forward in the ongoing conflict. “Right from the beginning, our advice to the involved parties in the Congo government-M23 conflict was negotiations,” he stated.
Museveni, a former rebel fighter himself, has ruled Uganda since 1986 after taking power in the aftermath of a civil war.
Uganda already had a significant military presence near Bunia under an agreement with Kinshasa, operating alongside Congolese troops in counterinsurgency efforts against the ADF—an extremist group linked to the Islamic State—as well as local tribal militias.
Kampala has repeatedly denied accusations by UN experts and other sources that it has been supporting M23 rebels or exploiting the region’s mineral wealth for its own benefit.
Huang Xia, the UN Secretary-General’s special envoy for the Great Lakes region, warned the Security Council on Wednesday that M23 and its allies were continuing to push forward, threatening to seize “other strategic areas” in North and South Kivu.
“The risk of a regional conflagration is more real than ever,” he cautioned.
A diplomatic source, speaking anonymously to AFP, suggested that Uganda was prioritising “cooperation with DRC” and taking a “political approach” to the crisis rather than pursuing direct military engagement.
