Connect with us

General News

Uganda, DR Congo Pledge Transparency in War Against Allied Democratic Forces

Published

4 years ago

on

[ad_1]

Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo have responded to public concerns about the safety of the joint operations against terrorists with a pledge of transparency. They said, in fact, that they will elevate their cooperation to target all armed groups, not just the Allied Democratic Forces.

The Ugandan and Congolese ministers of defence, after a two-day field tour of Bunia, in Ituri eastern DRC say they will coordinate operations to ensure they are within the law.

The Ministers, Vincent Bamulangaki (Uganda) and Gilbert Kabanda Kurhenga (DRC) were accompanied by senior officers from both countries as well as parliamentarians from the Defence Committee of the National Assembly and MPs from North Kivu and Ituri.

They were asked how far the operations will go, how civilians will be protected and whether there will be guards against damaging residential areas.

Armed groups

The two ministers made it clear from the outset that their discussions were not only about operations against the ADF, but also about all the other armed groups, militias and terrorist organisations operating along the border between the two countries, particularly in North Kivu and Ituri.

Currently, the Democratic Republic of Congo has about 100 armed groups, including some community defence militias, but they are sometimes ruthless in committing bloody attacks against civilians.

“We came here because we met as brothers who have a common future. When the neighbour’s house is burning you have to rush to help,” said Mr Vincent Bamulangaki.