7,000 Congolese flee to Uganda following ADF rebel attacks
February 5, 2022, 4:10 pm

7,000 Congolese flee to Uganda following ADF rebel attacks

People in Congo/Pixabay

The Xinhua reported, a top official in Congo said on Friday, at least 7,000 Congolese refugees have so far crossed into Uganda following attacks by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Esther Anyakun, Minister of State for Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Refugees said in a statement that the refugees crossed into Uganda on Feb. 2 through the western Uganda district of Bundibugyo and were being handled and forwarded to refugee reception centers.

The minister said: "The rebels reportedly also broke into pharmacies and shops to secure medicines and foodstuffs creating panic especially in Nobil trading center."

She added that about 76 households of 339 individuals were relocated on day one from the Busunga border point to Bubukwanga reception center.

Flag of Democratic Republic of the Congo/Pixabay

Anyakun said: "Refugees were screened by the security at the Busunga town council offices and those with health needs received first aid from Medical Teams International, our health implementing partner on ground."

The minister said the rebels attacked trading centers of Nobil, Kamango and Jiapande, a few kilometers from Busunga border point in Bundibugyo district.

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The Uganda military in November launched joint operations with the Congolese forces against the ADF.

So far several rebel camps have been overrun by the joint force, leaving the militants scattered in different locations, according to the Ugandan military.

The military on Wednesday warned civilians living in bordering areas against hosting fleeing Congolese without being screened by the line authorities.

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According to the military, some of the people fleeing could be ADF rebels pretending to be refugees.

The ADF, an affiliate of the Islamic State in central Africa, is a Ugandan rebel group holed up in eastern DRC.

Source: xinhua

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Upon arriving to participate in the summit of the European Political Community, which includes around forty heads of state in Budapest, he said, "I look forward to sitting with the elected U.S. president and seeing how we will collectively ensure we meet challenges, including the threats from Russia and North Korea." He also noted that the strengthening of ties between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to the United States as well, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.

Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.

On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.

It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.

Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.

Furthermore, many NATO member states in Europe fear that Trump might halt military aid to Ukraine after he previously criticized the U.S. for pouring funds into supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.