On Friday, October 13, 2023, suspected members of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebel group launched an attack on a trailer transporting onions from Kisoro District to the Mpondwe Lhubiriha Border in Kasese District. This attack resulted in the tragic death of one person and the injury of another.
The incident occurred around 1:00 am when the rebels ambushed the trailer, setting it on fire after shooting one of its occupants. According to Col Deo Akiiki, the UPDF Deputy Spokesperson, there were approximately five rebels involved in the attack.
The assailants set the trailer ablaze at Katojo Junction along the Bwera-Kinyamaseke-Kasese Road in Kasese District. Of the four individuals in the trailer, one male occupant lost his life to the gunfire, while another sustained severe injuries and was promptly taken to Bwera Hospital for treatment. A female occupant emerged unharmed, but the whereabouts of the fourth male occupant remain unknown.
The Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF) is actively involved in efforts to track down the attackers, and further updates will be provided as the situation develops.
This incident follows a previous attack by the same rebel group, where they attempted to attack Nyabugando 1 cell, Nyabugando Ward in Mpondwe-Lhubiriha Town. However, they were successfully repelled by UPDF soldiers who were on high alert.
Kasese Resident District Commissioner, Lt. Joe Walusimbi, responsible for overseeing security in the area, revealed that intelligence reports suggested the ADF’s intention to infiltrate the country and steal medicines from nearby healthcare facilities, particularly Mamasabina Orthodox Community Health Centre and Nyabugando Health Centre III. This incursion attempt coincided with the arrival of new supplies at some healthcare facilities in the region.
It’s important to note that on June 16, suspected ADF rebels crossed from the Democratic Republic of Congo into Mpondwe Lhubiriha Secondary School, resulting in the tragic loss of 38 students and six other members of the community.
