Uganda President Museveni Accuses UN of ‘Conserving’ Terrorism

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 16 2023

Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni. PHOTO | AFP

Summary

By MONITOR

Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni has accused the United Nations of “conserving” terrorism in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and breeding chaos in multiple countries in the Sahel region. 

“Part of the terrorism in Africa is either created or conserved by some of the actors that try to be global policemen. The chaos in Libya and the surrounding countries of the Sahel (Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, Chad among others) was caused by some of these actors. The terrorism conservation project in Eastern Congo for the past 20 years is by the UN and which is controlled by some of these actors through the undemocratic structures of that body such as the Security Council,” he said in a statement issued on his X handle on Wednesday.  

“It is amazing how the UN can supervise and coexist with killers of Congolese and Ugandans in Eastern Congo for the last 20 years and they are not bothered at all. They have created free space for all sorts of empty-headed pigs to gather, train, steal resources of Congo, kill Congolese citizens and once in a while kill Ugandans as well as undermining the economic future of the people of the Great Lakes,” he added.

Museveni said he will now consolidate efforts with the Congolese government to weed out the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) terrorists accused of multiple attacks in both countries.

When contacted, UN resident coordinator Ms Susan Namondo declined to comment on the matter, saying she had not seen the statement and was travelling. 

The UN, under the United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the DRC (Monusco), has been in the DRC since 2010. Monusco replaced the United Nations Organisation Mission in DRC.

There were slightly more than 17,000 Monusco personnel deployed in the DRC as of February. 

The mission is, according to their website, authorised to use all necessary means to carry out its mandate relating to, among others, protection of civilians, humanitarian personnel and human rights defenders under imminent threat of physical violence and to support the DRC government in its stabilisation and peace consolidation efforts. 

This is not the first time Museveni has come after the UN for failing to pacify Eastern DRC.

In his 2018 State of Nation Address, Museveni said, "Rural-based terrorism and 20 banditry was totally defeated, and we built military and intelligence capacity to ensure that Uganda will never be threatened by terrorists operating from the rural areas."

“The terrorists of ADF are still in Congo, preserved there by the UN and the Congo government. If, however, they were to re-enter Uganda, they would be promptly and decisively defeated,” he further said.

The ADF is one of the more than 100 armed groups operating in DRC, according to the UN. It was designated a terrorist organisation by the US in March 2021.  

Kampala has accused the group of multiple attacks in the country, including the murder of two foreign tourists and their drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park last month, a July attack that left 40 people dead as well as multiple bombings in the capital last year. 

Museveni in his statement also congratulated the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) for averting planned attacks during the Nyege Nyege Music festival held in Jinja last weekend.  

The US and UK in the run up to the event that attracts revellers from across borders, issued an advisory to their citizens against attending the festival due to security concerns. 

“This shows you the strength of the Uganda security system to be able to guard such a long pre-announced massive public function, the threats of the terrorists notwithstanding. It is true that the pigs of ADF in Congo had sent a few infiltrators to try to disrupt the function of the suspected sinners,” he said.