DRC: Museveni clarifies on UPDF deployment in DRC

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni who doubles as the Commander-in-Chief of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces has clarified that the UPDF deployment to the East Africa Force in the eastern part of the DRC is not to fight the M23 instead is geared towards keeping peace in the region. By Mike Sebalu

UPDF soldiers gather at Bunagana border in Kisoro District before they were flagged off for the peace mission in the DR Congo on March 29, 2023. PHOTO/ROBERT MUHEREZA

On Wednesday, the Commander Land Forces, Lt Gen Kayanja Muhanga, flagged off a contingent of 5,000 UPDF soldiers to go and help the Congolese government to stabilise the eastern part of the DRC, particularly in Rutshuru-Goma area.

In a statement issued on Thursday, Museveni said the UPDF is in DRC to act as a neutral force as the Congolese use the time to sort out their political problems and, adding that Ugandan soldiers would fight only when the attached.

“We are not going to fight the M23 since the government of DRC and the M-23 agreed to a peace plan which involves cessation of hostilities, withdrawal of the M-23 from some of the specified areas they had captured, “Museveni’s statement reads in part.

The president added that talks in that regard are ongoing and should continue so that the problem is handled politically.

He further disclosed that the UPDF initial mission is instead to occupy some of the positions that the M-23 has handed over to the East African Force as a neutral force.