Uganda troops to 'withdraw' from DRC by May end

Ugandan troops sent to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) last year to help a crackdown on rebels will withdraw by May 31 unless the two countries strike a new agreement, Ugandan military officials have said.

Kinshasa however said on Tuesday it was "too soon" for any such decision on a pullout.

"Operation Shujaa will officially cease in about two weeks according to our original agreement," General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, commander of Uganda's land forces, said on Twitter, using the operation's codename which means "the strong one" in Swahili.

"It was supposed to last for six months. Unless I get further instructions from our Commander in Chief or CDF, I will withdraw all our troops from DRC in two weeks."

But in a swift addendum, Kainerugaba –– son of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni –– clarified the operation could continue for another six months if the presidents of the two neighbours decided so.

Joint task force

Uganda joined DRC forces on November 30 in a fight against the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), accused of massacres in eastern DRC and bombings in Uganda.

The joint mission's duration had not been revealed until now, and the number of soldiers involved in the operation has still not been disclosed.

Ugandan Defence Minister Vincent Ssempijja confirmed to the AFP news agency that the agreement on Operation Shujaa was to end in a fortnight.

"Our respective bodies are in consultation and are assessing the situation and any future military cooperation with the DRC after May 31 will depend on what the two countries... have achieved in the operation," he said.

On Tuesday evening, DRC's Information Minister and government spokesperson Patrick Muyaya said there had been gains in the battle against the ADF militants since the joint operation started.

"But before deciding to end what was agreed on, there must be meetings between the general staff, who must evaluate the degree of progression compared to initial objectives," he said.

"For the moment, it is too soon to say if things will be done" in one way or another, he added.

Origins of ADF

The ADF is historically a Ugandan rebel coalition whose biggest group comprised Muslims opposed to President Museveni.

Established in the eastern DRC in 1995, the group became the deadliest of scores of outlawed forces in the deeply troubled region.

The ADF has been blamed for massacres, kidnappings and looting, with a toll in lives estimated in the thousands.

Since April 2019, some ADF attacks in eastern DRC have been claimed by the Daesh terror group, which describes the group as its local offshoot, Daesh Central Africa Province.

The United States last year placed the ADF on its list of "terrorist" organisations linked to Daesh.

Uganda's move against the ADF was with DRC's consent.

However, the operation has raised hackles among those who recall the role of Uganda and Rwanda in stoking past instability in the east.