The Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) has firmly denied allegations made by a United Nations Group of Experts that Ugandan soldiers are backing the March 23 (M23) rebels against the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) government. Brigadier General Felix Kulayigye, Director of Defence Public Information, criticized the UN experts for repeatedly making these claims without presenting concrete evidence.
"These allegations have been ongoing, yet no evidence has been provided. We maintain a very cordial relationship with Kinshasa. It is inconceivable that we would support the M23 rebels," stated Brigadier General Kulayigye on Thursday.
A leaked report from the UN Group of Experts suggested that Uganda is aiding both M23 and Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC) rebels, who have gained significant territory in Eastern DRC. Additionally, the report accused Uganda of offering sanctuary to these rebels and facilitating the passage of Rwanda Defence Forces into eastern DRC to collaborate with M23 fighters against the DRC government.
The report also highlighted that despite UN sanctions on M23 rebel leaders preventing their international travel, these individuals were allegedly allowed to transit through Uganda and Entebbe International Airport. The UN experts cited an instance where rebel leaders purportedly met Andrew Mwenda, a well-known regional journalist, in Kampala to seek assistance in improving their diplomatic ties with Western missions.
Brigadier General Kulayigye dismissed the UN report as biased and unresearched, asserting that the experts failed to engage with UPDF leadership for their perspective.
"The report is biased, unresearched, and lacks balance. The experts showed no intellectual discipline in seeking our side of the story nor natural justice," he argued.
He clarified that the UPDF’s last presence in the conflict zones of eastern DRC, where M23 rebels are active, was in December 2023 under the East Africa Community Regional Force (EACRF). The EACRF, initiated by East African Community member states, was tasked with deploying troops to rebel-held areas as a means to seek a political resolution to the conflict. However, the mission ended in November 2023 after the Kinshasa government refused to extend the EACRF mandate, leading to a troop withdrawal.
Brigadier General Kulayigye reiterated Uganda's commitment to peace in the Kivu region of eastern DRC, emphasizing that their deployment under EACRF was in pursuit of this objective. "The people of Kivu needed peace urgently. Our deployment under EACRF was aimed at achieving this peace," he said.
He further noted that Uganda, with the DRC government's consent, had deployed troops in North Kivu to combat the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels, who have been responsible for numerous attacks in both Uganda and DRC. He warned that the departure of UPDF troops would embolden ADF rebels, as Congolese forces struggle to manage their territory due to logistical and manpower constraints. The UN report indicated that many Congolese troops have been reassigned from ADF-contested areas to those threatened by M23 rebels.
