Why Are Members of Opposition Hostile to UPDF Operations Against ADF Terrorists?

By Hellen Acoko

Some members of the opposition have come out to criticize the
deployment of the Uganda Peoples Defense Forces (UPDF) by President Museveni who is also the commander in chief of the armed forces to hunt for the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a Ugandan terrorist group
operating in Eastern DR Congo.

The ADF, a Daesh/ISIS-affiliated rebel group, is accused of causing
mayhem in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and being
responsible for recent bomb blasts in our capital Kampala that killed
7 people and injured over 30 others.

UPDF together with the Congolese army FARDC have since carried out
joint air and artillery strikes on rebel positions and as of now 7
enemy camps are in the hands of the joint forces.

This followed after the two the states signed a defense and security agreement for conducting joint operations against armed groups in the bordering regions.

In their joint communiqué, the two sides reaffirmed that the pooling
of forces aims to track down all armed groups, including the ADF, in
Ituri and North Kivu in the eastern DR Congo.

However, even though UPDF was legally invited by the DRC government to come and assist fighting a common enemy, our Ugandan opposition are not happy and as usual coming up with all inexcusable excuses.

The leader of the newly formed Peoples Front for Transformation (PFT) Dr. Kizza Besigye asks the government to immediately withdraw UPDF from Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Besigye retorts that excessive use of force and profiling of Muslims
needs to stop adding that UPDF must pull back and let the United
Stabilization Mission in the DR Congo (MONUSCO) take charge of the problem.

However Besigye forgets that ADF continues to massacre civilians in
the DRC while MONUSCO which has been in the country for about 20 years watches because it is not concerned. One of the ADF bases was located 50km from the MONUSCO base but the UN force had never bothered to launch an attack and chase away the terrorists in order to protect the
civilians which its cardinal role of its deployment in that country.

NUP president Robert Kyagulanyi also through his social media pages expressed his displeasure about the UPDF in the Congo.
The Kampala Lord Mayor, Erias Lukwago said MPs should ask questions about the so called “invasion of DRC by UPDF claiming there must be a clear statement on deployment even when UPDF was legally invited by the DRC Congo government in broad daylight after signing a defense and security agreement.

If it was an invasion as Lukwago wants to insinuate, the DRC would
have defended its territorial integrity against UPDF as an invading force.

Since we have not seen that and that the fact that the two armies continue to issue joint updates on the ongoing joint operations, Lukwago’s claims are mere background noise and must be
treated as such.

Another opposition to try to attempt smear campaign against the successful “OPERATION SHUJAA” is Butambala’s Muwanga Kivumbi. On Thursday 23rd, Hon Kivumbi also criticized the move by President Museveni and President Félix Antoine Tshisekedi to deploy the military in Eastern DRC. Kivumbi also remarked that there is need to address the causes of terrorism first adding that the ADF is just one rebel and it wouldn’t make a difference to fight them.” I think Hon Kivumbi by bringing the issue addressing the causes of terrorism is trying to drag the two governments into negotiation with terrorists yet terrorism can never be justified and holds no legitimacy.

Why would the opposition fear UPDF hunting down the terrorists who have been killing Ugandans and maiming others? Do they
benefit anything from the ADF attacks in Uganda?

Democracies must never give in to violence and terrorists must never
be rewarded for using it. Negotiations give legitimacy to terrorists and their methods and undermine actors who have pursued political change through peaceful means.

These opposition leaders also quote former ‘misconduct by the UPDF in DRC as an excuse for their blatant denial of a good strategy but if the DRC government gave its approval for a joint operation against the ADF on its soil, then why would these Ugandans be opposed to it.

Their campaign against eliminating terrorists which would bring security, peace and economic prosperity of the two countries sends a message that either the opposition members may have a hand in these
terror activities or simply don’t want to see a secure and peaceful
Uganda.

It would be their prayers and wish to see Uganda in a state of
constant terror attacks and bombings everywhere so that they can justify why the current government must leave power because the president would have failed in his constitutional mandate of protecting Ugandans and their properties.

These UPDF-FARDC military operations in the Congo are intelligence-led both human and technical. The problem of terrorism could not be solved
unless you look at it in a regional context.’’

The Operation Shujaa is a comprehensive operation where Uganda is looking at how it can unlock DRC such that it can benefit from the economic potential of the East African Community.

In conclusion, it is very disappointing to see that some of these opposition leaders aspiring to be presidents of this country
sympathize with terrorists and are blaming government for using fire
power at those terrorists.

It is an indication that Besigye and his group are happy with the
works of the ADF. The attack on ADF is not partisan issue because
government is trying to save Ugandans and creating opportunities.

All right thinking Ugandans irrespective of their political
affiliations should stand up and support UPDF, condemn terrorists and also report any terror related activities in their surroundings to
security agencies.