The Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) has called on Ugandans to unite in an effort to eliminate the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels, who are primarily active in Kasese District and its nearby areas.
On Monday, UPDF’s land forces commander, Lieutenant General Kayanja Muhanga, addressed a gathering in Kasese District and appealed for community support to aid the Ugandan army’s mission of eradicating the insurgents, particularly in Queen Elizabeth National Park, a known hideout for the rebels.
“The enemy is currently at its weakest. We have eliminated many of their foreign fighters and several of their commanders,” noted Lieutenant General Muhanga. He made this statement a week after suspected ADF rebels were responsible for the killing of a Ugandan tour guide and a foreign honeymoon couple.
Accompanying Lieutenant General Muhanga on Monday was Major General Dick Olum, the Commander of the Mountain Division and Operation Shujja. Together, they conducted awareness sessions for residents on terrorism in the border areas of Bwera Sub-county in Kasese District.
They emphasized the importance of the local population remaining vigilant and reporting any unknown or suspicious individuals in their areas to the security forces before terrorists could cause further harm.
Major General Olum stressed that early reporting of suspicious activities or individuals would be crucial in detecting potential threats before they escalate.
The involvement of the local community in supporting UPDF’s efforts has been recently endorsed by President Museveni, who highlighted the significance of human intelligence.
“President Museveni does not intend for civilians to be armed and sent to the frontlines to engage in combat with ADF rebels. As a strategist, he emphasizes the importance of human intelligence, which involves people cooperating with UPDF to provide information. Human intelligence is derived from the population, and this is our primary focus,” UPDF informed the Monitor on Sunday.
Major General James Birungi emphasized that local authorities must take the lead in educating the people on how to identify and report suspicious individuals in their areas.
Kasese Resident District Commissioner (RDC), Lieutenant Joe Walusimbi, stated that they were already involving the local population in key awareness campaigns to enhance security.
Monday’s mobilization meeting drew a significant audience, including senior government officials, Rwenzururu Kingdom Deputy Prime Minister Edwin Kugonza, and senior police officers, among others.
