Museveni speaks out on UPDF deployment in Bunia

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President Yoweri Museveni on Friday, February 21, 2025, clarified what he termed misinformation by Al-Jazeera TV, which on Thursday claimed Uganda had deployed troops in Eastern Congo to help the Democratic Republic Congo (DRC) government fight the M-23 rebels.

Museveni explained that the deployment of the Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF) in DRC had nothing to do with fighting the M-23 rebels but rather fight the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) that was causing mayhem both in Uganda and DRC.

“About 4 years ago, the government of His Excellency Felix Tshisekedi, at long last, listened to our requests of allowing us to help the Congo Army fight the ADF terrorists that had been killing Congolese and Ugandans with impunity, using Congolese territory, for the previous 20 plus years, ever since 2002,” Museveni said.

“We were very happy for H.E Tshisekedi to do this and it has helped the Congolese Citizens in the area, they have gone back to their villages and the Ugandans are no longer being killed.  You remember the 7 sheikhs killed, Gen. Katumba’s daughter, Joan Kagezi, etc.? That was the main mission our troops went to Congo for. Along the way, two new tasks were added: protecting the jointly funded Kasindi- Beni-Butembo Road and being part of the East African Force that had successfully separated the M-23 fighters that were East of the Bunagana-Goma Road and the Congo government troops that were, mainly, West of that road in some sections,” Museveni added.

He noted that, “the Congo government, however, expelled the East African Force saying that they were not helping them to fight the M-23 fighters which was never part of the mission of that force. The East African Force was neutral in that matter of the fighting between the Congo Army and the M-23.”

Museveni explained that, “with the mandate of the East African Force cancelled by the Congo government, the UPDF remained with the two tasks: to fight the ADF alongside the Congo Army and to protect the Construction of the Kasindi-Beni-Butembo Road”.

He further noted that with the deteriorating security situation in Eastern Congo, Uganda secured the permission of the Congo government to deploy in Lubero, near Butembo and Bunia, to the North of our operational area.

“Our presence in Congo, therefore, has nothing to do with fighting the M-23 rebels. Right from the beginning, our advice to the involved parties in the Congo government-M-23 conflict, was negotiations,” he added.

Full statement

Fellow Ugandans, especially the Bazzukulu.

Greetings. How is the heat (empiita) of the akaanda (the dry season of January to half of March around the Equator) in the Kampala area?

Encroaching on the wetlands must stop. Otherwise, the Ugandans will kwejusa (to regret, kwefuuza). Like I used to do in Dar-es-Salaam, I dare not take hot showers in Kampala because it becomes very uncomfortable. I take cold showers even at night in Nakasero.

Fore-warned is fore-armed. We must protect the environment. On another occasion, I will, again, remind you of the months (ameezi) and seasons (eshumi) in Runyankore because they are more descriptive than the English ones.

However, on this occasion, I need to clarify one misinformation I saw on Al-Jazeera TV, the other night. There was an item that said that Uganda had deployed troops in Eastern Congo to help the Congo government fight the M-23 rebels. This is not true.

About 4 years ago, the government of H.E Tshisekedi, at long last, listened to our requests of allowing us to help the Congo Army fight the ADF terrorists that had been killing Congolese and Ugandans with impunity, using Congolese territory, for the previous 20 plus years, ever since 2002.

We were very happy for H.E Tshisekedi to do this and it has helped the Congolese Citizens in the area, they have gone back to their villages and the Ugandans are no longer being killed.

You remember the 7 sheikhs killed, Gen. Katumba’s daughter, Joan Kagezi, etc.? That was the main mission our troops went to Congo for. Along the way, two new tasks were added: protecting the jointly funded Kasindi- Beni-Butembo Road and being part of the East African Force that had successfully separated the M-23 fighters that were East of the Bunagana-Goma Road and the Congo government troops that were, mainly, West of that road in some sections.

The Congo government, however, expelled the East African Force saying that they were not helping them to fight the M-23 fighters which was never part of the mission of that force.

The East African Force was neutral in that matter of the fighting between the Congo Army and the M-23.

With the mandate of the East African Force cancelled by the Congo government, the UPDF remained with the two tasks: to fight the ADF alongside the Congo Army and to protect the Construction of the Kasindi-Beni-Butembo Road.

With the deteriorating security situation in Eastern Congo, we secured the permission of the Congo government to deploy in Lubero, near Butembo and Bunia, to the North of our operational area.

Our presence in Congo, therefore, has nothing to do with fighting the M-23 rebels. Right from the beginning, our advice to the involved parties in the Congo government-M-23 conflict, was negotiations.

The history of that conflict is well known and the solutions are there. The regional conferences of EAC and SADC have guided on this. Those are the facts.

Signed:

Yoweri K. Museveni

President of the Republic of Uganda