The people of Ituri Province in Eastern DRC have praised an ongoing operation in the area against The Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a militant group synonymous with decades of terror.
This comes after a decisive joint operation by the Ugandan People's Defence Forces (UPDF) and the Congolese army (FARDC) especially in Apakwanga where Musa Baluku’s camps have been hiding.
Targeting ADF strongholds in Mungamba (Irumu Territory) and Lolwa along the Komanda-Mambasa axis, the operation was hailed by local leaders as a "historic turning point."
Messages of gratitude and relief flooded WhatsApp groups across the province.
The coordinated assault, described as "precise and strategic," by opinion leaders saw coalition forces encircle ADF camps, cutting off escape routes and neutralizing key militants.
For a region long traumatized by massacres, displacement, and economic exploitation, this operation represented more than just a military victory - it offered a tangible promise of peace.
The UPDF has been pursuing ADF terrorists since launching Operation Shujaa in November 2021 under an agreement between Uganda and the DRC. Since then, this operation has achieved remarkable success in dismantling the ADF as a fighting force and restoring stability to areas once gripped by terror.
Today, schools, markets, and hospitals operate again in eastern DRC, allowing residents to resume normal lives that were once just a distant dream.
The operation's success was further cemented last month when Uganda's Chief of Defence Forces, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, visited Kinshasa for strategic meetings with President Felix Tshisekedi and FARDC's Chief of Defence Staff. These high-level discussions resulted in new agreements to expand joint operations in eastern DRC, demonstrating both nations' commitment to securing peace for their shared border communities.
