Authorities in DR Congo have arrested a renowned Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) recruiter, Banza Madjaribu, who is also a brother of the terrorist group’s de facto commander, Imam Zakaria Banza Souleymane, commonly known as Bonge La Chuma.
Following the joint attacks by the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) and the Congolese army, Forces Armées de la République Démocratique du Congo that started on November 30, last year, security sources said the ADF leader, Musa Baluku, was badly wounded, and he has since handed over command to Bonge La Chuma.
Sources said Madjaribu, also known as Zakaria Abah Adore, was an Imam at Katindo mosque in the city of Goma, just like his younger brother, Imam Bonge La Chuma, who is said to be the head and chief instructor of the ADF fighters currently.
After his arrest in Goma on December 28 last year, Madjaribu was reportedly detained there for about five days, before he was transferred to Kinshasa on January 2.
“Madjaribu was arrested at the Alaline market in Katindo in the company of a woman whom, it is said, he wanted to marry. He was detained in Goma before he was later transferred to the military criminal intelligence prison (DEMIAP) in Kinshasa,” the source revealed, adding that security operatives were able to identify him using the recognisable scar under his left eye.
Reports indicate that Madjaribu has been behind a number of bomb attacks in DR Congo and that he has been on DRC’s wanted list for years.
Madjaribu is accused of organising a recruitment network for ADF using his numerous minibuses and motorcycles, which he would reportedly use to transport recruits to Beni forest via Butembo in North Kivu.
Beni territory, military sources said, is one of the strongholds of these armed groups, including ADF, with the terror group commanders, such as Musa Baluku aka Seka, Bonge La Chuma, Nasser Adbu Hamid Diiru, Elias Segujja aka Fezza, Sheikh Lumisa and Abdulrahman Wasswa aka PC Sentongo, expected to be hiding in this area.
Attempts to get a comment from the UPDF spokesperson, Brig. Flavia Byekwaso, over the arrest of Madjaribu and what they make of it, were futile.
The overall commander of the ongoing Operation Shujaa, Maj.
Gen. Kayanja Muhanga, recently announced that they had entered phase two of the operation in which he pledged to pursue the ADF on foot within the jungles of eastern DR Congo. Over 100 ADF extremists have been killed since the operation started on November 30.