Suspected ADF attack Kamwenge again, leave three dead

Suspected ADF rebels have again attacked Kamwenge district and reportedly left three people dead.

This is the second attack barely two weeks apart as the first happened on the night of December 18, 2023, in the same district. The attack at the time left 10 people dead.

Reports reaching New Vision Online indicate that the victims of this fresh attack belonged to one family. 

It is reported that the attackers raided the family, which was living in a village bordering Kibale Forest. 

The suspected ADF rebels torched a house leaving three occupants: An elderly woman and her two grandchildren charred, according to the official report by the Government.

Reports indicate that attackers made off with over six goats and a cow.

Army spokesperson Gen. Felix Kulayigye said: "Our squads are pursuing them [attackers]". 

Beefing up of security after the first attack

Security was heightened in Kamwenge following the December 18, night raid which left 10 people dead.

Commenting on the attack, President Yoweri Museveni said at the time that the four killers were the remnants of the Njovu-Kamusu group of 10 that entered Uganda from [DR] Congo second round, some weeks ago.

"They had crossed back to Congo but came back.  They are the group that killed the children of Nyabugaando School, killed the two tourists and their driver and burnt the onion truck.  Two of them were killed in the waters of Lake Edward by the marines and their leader Njovu was injured, captured and he is now facing charges in court," the President said.

Museveni, in a statement issued by his press team on the afternoon of December 20, 2023, said: "About a week ago, the CMI and the SFC Commandos destroyed a squad of three of that group including Kamusu that had replaced Njovu as the group leader.  Kamusu was shot although we have not seen his dead body yet".  

Redeployment of LDUs

Because of these attacks, the President directed the army to reactivate the force of the Local Defence Units in the areas surrounding Queen Elizabeth National Parks, Kibaale Forests, the forests in Kyenjojo and Kagadi, Semuliki National Park and Bwindi National Park.  

"Since the terrorists cowardly attack soft targets in the form of unarmed civilians, we are reactivating our old method of transforming the village soft targets into lethal local hard points.  We are not short of manpower.  It only means deploying more resources to support the manpower," he said.

However, New Vision Online could not verify whether the LDU personnel had been reactivated by the time of the second attack.