41 Killed In Rebel Attack On Ugandan School Near Congo Border

 

CNN: ISIS-linked rebel group attacks Ugandan school, killing dozens 

Kampala, Uganda CNN — Armed rebels attacked a school in western Uganda, killing at least 41 people, mostly students, and abducting six others, Ugandan officials have said. 

Some were hacked to death with machetes while others died when their dormitories were set on fire, military spokesman Felix Kulayigye told CNN. 

About 20 members of the ISIS-linked Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebel group attacked the Lhubirira secondary school late on Friday, according to Uganda’s military. 

The school is situated along Uganda’s border with Congo in the town of Kasese, and educates children between the ages of 13 and 18. Of the dead, 39 were students and two were from the local community, local officials said.  

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41 Killed In Rebel Attack On Ugandan School Near Congo Border 

41 killed in rebel attack on Ugandan school near Congo border -- AP 

Uganda school attack: Dozens of pupils killed by militants linked to Islamic State group -- BBC  

41 Killed in Militant Attack on Ugandan School -- VOA  

Militants kill 37, abduct six others in attack on Ugandan school -- Reuters

Islamic State Claims Responsibility For Uganda Bombings

 

East African: Kenya on high alert after Uganda double suicide bombings 

Kenyan police are on high alert following the twin explosions that hit Uganda's capital Kampala on Tuesday in which three people were killed and 33 wounded. 

Security has been beefed up in all installations and towns across Kenya and along the border points. Police have urged the public to stay alert and report suspicious activities to the nearest station or using the toll free lines 999/112. 

 “The National Police Service (NPS) assures the public of their security and safety following terror-related incidents in our neighbouring country earlier today. Our sympathies to victims and families who were affected by such an atrocious act,” NPS tweeted on Tuesday.  

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More News On The Islamic State Claiming Responsibility For Yesterday's Uganda Bombings  

At least three killed as suicide blasts rock Ugandan capital Kampala -- CNN  

Several dead, dozens injured as suicide bombers hit Uganda's capital Kampala -- France 24  

At least three killed as explosions rock Uganda’s capital -- Al Jazeera 

Islamic State claims responsibility for Uganda bombings -- CNN

Is The U.S. Being Dragged Into Another African War?

The Nation: The Bewildering Search for the Islamic State in Congo  

Will a Texas hedge fund drag the US into another dangerous quagmire? 

In 2003, three American college friends set out for Uganda. As they traveled through the north of the country, they were so moved by the suffering caused by the conflict between the government and the warlord Joseph Kony that they started an NGO called Invisible Children to spread awareness about the crisis and raise money for relief projects. Their work eventually drew the attention of Shannon Sedgwick Davis, a young Texas lawyer and CEO of the Bridgeway Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Bridgeway Capital Management, a multibillion-dollar hedge fund with investments in oil, pharmaceuticals, and consumer products. For years, Davis had been troubled by the limitations of charity, which she likened to “putting Band-Aids on bullet holes.” In January 2009, she was nursing her 1-month-old second child when she read a report from Human Rights Watch, a Bridgeway grantee, about a series of massacres committed by Kony’s forces. Having fled Uganda, they’d stormed through a cluster of hamlets in neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo, abducting children and killing their parents. Davis was so outraged that she resolved to seek a new approach to Bridgeway’s work. Documenting atrocities would no longer be enough. The foundation would now endeavor to stop them, militarily.  

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WNU Editor: A lot of good background information in the above post. And kudos to it for giving credit to former President Trump for getting the U.S. out of this conflict. But a new President means a different policy, and it looks like the U.s. is getting involved in another conflict .... Uganda army to join Congo in offensive against Islamist rebels -Kinshasa gov't (Reuters).

Uganda Launches Air Strikes Against Uganda Islamist Rebels In DR Congo

Reuters: Ugandan army attacks rebel camps in eastern Congo

KAMPALA (Reuters) - The Ugandan army on Friday attacked camps in eastern Congo housing Ugandan Islamist rebels blamed for a raid this month that killed 14 United Nations peacekeepers, an army spokesman said.

The attack, carried out with air strikes and long range weapons from inside Uganda, is the first in a joint military operation by Congo and Ugandan armies against the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF).

The attack followed intelligence sharing with Democratic Republic of the Congo that indicated ADF militants were planning “hostile activities” against Uganda, army (UPDF) spokesman Richard Karemire told Reuters.

“In a pre-emptive move this afternoon, UPDF conducted attacks. They are of a limited nature on camps in DRC,” he said.

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More News On Uganda Launching Air Strikes Against Uganda Islamist Rebels In DR Congo

Uganda attacks rebels accused of killing UN troops in Congo -- Washington Post/AP
Ugandan army strikes rebel camps in eastern DR Congo -- AFP
Ugandan army attacks 'ADF rebel group bases' in DR Congo -- BBC
Ugandan Army Attacks Rebel Camps in Eastern Congo -- VOA
Ugandan military attacks ADF rebels in DR Congo -- Xinhua
Thousands Fleeing Intercommunal Violence in DRC’s Ituri Province -- VOA

Police - Tribal Clashes Kill 62 In Uganda

Al Jazeera: At least 62 dead as Uganda moves against tribal king

Police and militia clash after government says King Mumbere's guards were training with separatist group.

The death toll from a weekend of fighting in western Uganda has risen to 62 after clashes between police and a militia loyal to a tribal king, according to regional police.

An initial 55 deaths had been reported on Sunday.

"So far we managed to kill 46 of the royal guards and we also arrested 139 [guards]," regional police spokesman Mansur Suwed told the Reuters news agency.

He said the number of police killed had risen to 16 from 14 after two officers died from their wounds.

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More News On This Weekend's Police - Tribal Clashes That Killed 62 In Uganda

Nurse-turned-king arrested after dozens killed in clashes in Uganda -- CBS/AP
At least 62 killed in Uganda fighting, tribal king Mumbere in custody -- DW
Uganda says 55 police, tribal insurgents killed in clashes -- Reuters
Uganda police arrest Rwenzururu king over deadly clashes -- BBC
Museveni cracks down on Ugandan separatists -- DW

Growing Unrest In Uganda, A Key U.S. Ally For African Security

BBC

Ian Platz, Real Clear Defense: Uganda on the Brink: Key U.S. Ally for African Security

Over the past decade, the United States government has viewed Uganda as one of the best guarantors of stability and thus American interests in East and Central Africa. In its most basic form, the U.S. government has been able to count on the Ugandan military as a proxy for missions and operations that are important to U.S. interests and provide access to volatile areas in times of crisis. In exchange Uganda has quickly become the largest cumulative recipient of U.S. security assistance funding in Sub-Saharan Africa. With US support, Uganda has been more than willing to export its capable military into complex stability operations, with just over six thousand military personnel deployed to the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and provides the majority of forces in the Counter-Lord’s Resistance Army (C-LRA) mission. It has also provided the U.S. with tremendous depth into the Great Lakes and Horn of Africa regions through a Cooperative Security Location (CSL) in Entebbe, just outside of the capital city of Kampala.

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WNU Editor: When I think of Africa and its history of tribalism, corruption, dictatorship, and bad governance .... Uganda always come to my mind. Idi Amin may be gone, but his legacy lives on.

Ugandan Opposition Leader Arrested Amid Violence And Charges Of Election Fraud

VOA: Ugandan Opposition Leader Besigye Re-arrested; Museveni Leading Poll

KAMPALA - Uganda's main opposition leader, Kizza Besigye, was arrested for the second time in two days Friday, as election results showed him running a distant second in the presidential poll to incumbent Yoweri Museveni.

Witnesses say police took Besigye and other top members of his party, the Forum for Democratic Change, away from their party headquarters in Kampala. Police had fired tear gas into the building as party leaders tried to hold a news conference to talk about alleged election fraud by authorities.

Another presidential challenger, former prime minister Amama Mbabazi, left his house with a police escort Friday. Earlier, Mbabazi released a statement saying police were arresting people outside his residence, and posted video of officers patroling the streets.

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WNU Editor: It looks like the fix is in for the re-election of Ugandan President Museveni.

More News On Uganda's Presidential Election

Uganda polls: Museveni's main rival, Besigye, arrested -- BBC
Uganda police arrest opposition leader again amid election clashes -- The Guardian
Uganda Opposition Candidate Arrested as Museveni Leads Poll -- Bloomberg
Ugandan Police Arrest Opposition Leader -- AP
Ugandan police fire tear gas at protesters in southern Kampala: witness -- Reuters
Uganda 2016: Police Storm Opposition Headquarters -- Newsweek
Uganda's tense election: Five things to know -- CNN

Scores Killed As Ugandan Forces Clash With Tribal Militias

Uganda Militant Attack Leaves Scores Dead -- BBC

At least 58 people were killed after gunmen launched a co-ordinated attack on police stations and military barracks in Uganda, the army says.

The dead included 41 gunmen and 17 police and civilians.

The attacks took place in the west of Uganda, near the border with Congo.

The military said the attacks were caused by a dispute between rival tribes, but there are fears over the possible resurgence of a Ugandan rebel movement based in eastern Congo.

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More News On Ugandan Security Forces Battling Tribal Militias

Dozens Killed as Ugandan Forces Clash With Tribal Militias -- WSJ
Gunmen kill 17 in attacks on police stations, barracks in Uganda -- Reuters
Uganda fighting: dozens killed in clashes between tribal militia and security forces -- CBC/AP
Close to 50 dead in Ugandan sectarian strife -- i24 News
Dozens Killed in Ugandan Fighting -- VOA
Close to 50 dead as Ugandan troops fight ‘tribal gunmen’ -- AFP
Dozens killed in clash with Ugandan police -- Deutsche Welle
Ugandan Troops Kill 41 in Battle With 'Tribal Gunmen': Army Spokesman -- India Tribune

Uganda To Withdraw Troops From Somalia Over UN's Congo Claims

President Yoweri Museveni inspects a guard of honour by the AU peace keeping force at their base in 2010. Newvision

Uganda To Withdraw Troops From Somalia, Says Mukasa -- BBC

Uganda will withdraw its forces from UN-backed international missions, Security Minister Muruli Mukasa says, escalating a long-running row.

Mr Mukasa said the government had sent an official to New York to inform the UN of this decision.

Operations in Somalia, the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of Congo will be affected.

The UN infuriated Kampala when it published an experts' report accusing Uganda of arming Congolese rebels.

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More News On Uganda Withdrawing It's Troops From Somalia

Uganda vows to withdraw peacekeepers over UN's Congo claims -- The Guardian
Uganda says to pull out of Somalia over Congo charges -- Reuters
Uganda to quit Somalia -- New Vision
Uganda pulling out of Somalia, says Amama -- Daily Monitor
Uganda threatens to pull peacekeepers from Somalia over UN Congo allegations -- Washington Post/AP
Uganda threatens to pull out of peacekeeping missions -- AFP

3 Ugandan Helicopters Missing In Kenya

Rescuers Find One Ugandan Copter Gunship, Two Missing -- Reuters

(Reuters) - Uganda said on Monday the pilot and four crew of a Somalia-bound Ugandan attack helicopter that made an emergency landing in Kenya had been rescued but two other gunships and ten crew members were still missing in the same area.

Ugandan troops form the backbone of the African Union (AU)force (AMISOM) fighting Islamist militants in Somalia. The air force said on August 7 that it was deploying transport and combat helicopters to Somalia to add muscle to the force.

The AU force, which includes Kenyan, Burundian and a handful of Djiboutian troops, is planning an offensive on Somalia's southern port city of Kismayu, a hub for the al Qaeda-aligned al Shabaab rebels.

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More News On Uganda Missing Three Helicopters In Kenya

3 Ugandan helicopters have problems while headed to Somalia; no fatalities -- Washington Post/AP
Rescuers find one Ugandan copter gunship, 2 still missing -- Globe and Mail/Reuters
Uganda search for missing helicopters in Kenya -- BBC
Rescuers hunt for two Ugandan helicopters in Kenya -- AFP
Ugandan military helicopters go missing on trip to Somalia -- CNN
Ugandan Copters, en Route to Battle Shabab, Disappear Over Kenya -- New York Times
Ugandan helicopters missing near Somalia -- UPI
Ugandan army helicopters go missing -- The Telegraph

Uganda Is Building The Region's Strongest Army

Uganda: Why Is Museveni Building Region's Strongest Army? -- AllAfrica.com

Uganda's expenditure on arms surpassed Kenya's for the first in 2011, a new global arms expert report shows. Uganda spent US$1.02 billion; about double Kenya's US$735 million.

Details show that Uganda spent US$270 million on its usual defense budget items (food, salaries etc) and US$ 750 million on jets pushing its officially disclosed expenditure to US$1.02 billion.

Uganda's acquisition of 6 Su-30MK Russian jets elevated its air force to one of the most advanced combat aircraft squadrons in East and Central Africa, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, an international institute that carries out research into conflict and arms control notes.

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My Comment: LRA rebels in the region. South Sudan's conflict with Sudan is escalating. Congo in perpetual civil war. Somalia, Darfu, ethnic/tribal tensions, etc. If I was Museveni, I would be building up my armed forces.

Unrest Grows In Uganda

Uganda Riots Over Kizza Besigye's Arrest -- BBC

At least one person has died in riots in Uganda's capital over the treatment of opposition leader Kizza Besigye.

Security forces have fired live ammunition, rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse protesters burning tyres.

Mr Besigye sought medical treatment after being tear-gassed in his car and bundled roughly into a truck when he was arrested on Thursday.

It was his fourth detention this month for his participation in a "walk-to-work" protest over high prices.

President Yoweri Museveni has said the walking campaign over the rise in the cost of living is illegal.

After his arrest Dr Besigye was charged with inciting violence but released on medical grounds until 2 May.

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More News On The Unrest In Uganda

Rioting breaks out in Ugandan capital -- AFP
Fresh Riots Erupt in Uganda -- Wall Street Journal
Ugandan Police Fire Bullets, Tear Gas in Kampala Amid Protests Over Prices -- Bloomberg
Uganda politician's arrest sparks deadly riot -- Al Jazeera
Uganda: Riots Break Out in Kampala, Leaving One Dead -- AllAfrica.com/RFI
Ugandan Opposition Leader Arrested Again -- Voice of America
Ugandan opposition leader heads to Kenya for care -- Reuters
In pictures: Uganda riots erupt over Besigye's arrest -- BBC
Both Uganda's protesters and its government draw lessons from Egypt revolution -- Christian Science Monitor
Guest post: Will Uganda's protests play out like Egypt or Libya? -- Michael Wilkerson, Foreign Policy

Unrest Continues In Uganda

Ugandan Food Protests Grow Violent -- New York Times

KAMPALA, Uganda – Riots broke out in downtown Kampala Thursday as a fourth round of street demonstrations over commodity prices spread after a leading opposition politician was arrested for the third time in two weeks, significantly heightening tensions here.

President Yoweri Museveni addressed the nation Thursday evening, defending his government’s action against protestors and the spending decisions that the protestors blame for the rising cost of living.

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More News On The Unrest In Uganda

High fuel prices underpin Uganda protests, test Museveni government -- Christian Science Monitor
Museveni explains fuel prices, taxes -- New Vision
Ugandan opposition leader arrested again -- CNN
Uganda Opposition Leader to Stage Another 'Walk-to-Work' -- Voice of America
Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye arrested for fourth time -- The Guardian
Ugandan Police Arrest Opposition Leader Besigye -- Voice of America
Ugandan opposition leader charged over protest -- Reuters
Uganda Opposition Leader Denied Bail -- Washington Post

A New Reign Of Terror By The Lord's Resistance Army

Uganda LRA Rebels 'On Massive Forced Recruitment Drive' -- BBC News

Uganda's rebel Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) has been accused of going on a massive forced recruitment campaign in remote areas of central Africa.

Human Rights Watch said the group had brutally abducted at least 697 adults and children over the past 18 months.

Civilians were said to have been taken in remote regions of the Central African Republic (CAR) and the north of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The LRA, led by Joseph Kony, has fought the Ugandan government since 1986.

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More News On The LRA

The Lord's Resistance Army's new reign of terror -- The Independent
Ugandan LRA rebels abduct, kill hundreds - group -- Reuters
Report: Rebel group abducts 700, kills 225, in unreported campaign -- CNN
Report: LRA Recruiting Child Soldiers in DRC, CAR -- Voice of America
Uganda's LRA Abducts 700 People to Replenish Its Ranks, Rights Group Says -- Bloomberg
Rights Group: Uganda Rebels Abduct Hundreds -- Wall Street Journal
LRA on murder rampage, HRW says -- UPI
Ugandan rebels said to kill 255 in central Africa -- Yahoo News/AP
Uganda's LRA 'seizes hundreds' -- Al Jazeera
Kony orders massive abduction -- The New Vision
Report: Uganda LRA rebels 'on massive forced recruitment drive' -- Congo Planet

Bombs In Uganda Kill 74. Somali Islamists Claim Attack

Somali Militants Claim Responsibility For Uganda Bombings -- CNN

(CNN) -- A Somali Islamist militant movement on Monday claimed responsibility for a trio of bombings that killed at least 74 people Sunday in the Ugandan capital.

"And the best of men have promised and they have delivered," said an Arabic statement issued by Al-Shabaab's press office and obtained by CNN. "Blessed and exalted among men -- (taking) full responsibility ...We wage war against the 6,000 collaborators; they have received their response."

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More News On Somali Extremists Claiming The Bombings In Uganda

Uganda President Condemns Fatal Bombings in Capital -- New York Times
Al-Qa'eda-linked Somali Islamists blamed for killing 74 in Uganda World Cup blasts -- The Telegraph
Somali militants claim Kampala World Cup blasts -- BBC
Somali Militant Group Claims Responsibility For Deadly Attacks -- NPR
Somali Islamists Say They Carried Out Uganda Attack -- Bloomberg Businessweek
Somalia's Shebab claim Kampala bombings -- AFP
Uganda Bombs Kill 74, Islamists Claim Attack -- New York Times/Reuters
Uganda bomb blasts death toll rises to 74 as al shabaab claim responsibility -- The Independent
Uganda bombs signal growing extremism of al-Shabab -- The Guardian
Kenya tightens Somali border -- News24
Kenya on border alert after Uganda blasts -- Daily Nation
Uganda bombed -- The Economist
Al-Shabaab's attack on Uganda: a lesson for Afghanistan? -- Richard Spencer, The Telegraph
Q+A-What will be the fallout from the Uganda blasts? -- Reuters
ANALYSTS' VIEW-Uganda blasts stir regional anxiety -- Reuters
Why al-Shabaab Would Attack in Uganda -- The Atlantic

Uganda Is Following Africa's Trend Of Ethinic Violence And Government Corruption

An crowd of protestors surrounds a burning bus in the Kampala suburb of Nalukolongo.
Photo AFP

Riots in Uganda: A Sign of Things to Come? -- Time Magazine

In a region that includes Kenya, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda can sometimes seem like the stable, sleepy neighbor. But appearances can be deceiving. For 22 years, the Ugandan government has been fighting the cult-like rebel Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), a conflict largely ignored by the rest of the world until the last few years, when the LRA extended its violent reach into southern Sudan and eastern Congo. And now it looks like Uganda is facing more fighting, this time between the government and the country's largest ethnic group. Last week, the capital Kampala erupted in bloody riots that left at least 21 dead and around 100 wounded. With an election scheduled for 2011, many fear that the latest burst of violence may be a taste of things to come.

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Update #1: Riots in Uganda: In whose interest? -- The Economist
Update #2: US concerned about Ugandan violence -- AFP
Update #3: Museveni Blames Ugandan Riots on Opposition -- new York Times

My Comment: Uganda never completely recovered after Idi Amin's reign of terror and suppression in the 1970s .... and to continue with the tragedy, we now have an "autocrat/dictator" who may not have been as brutal as Idi Amin, but he is just as tyrannical.

I wish I could say that Uganda was the exception to the rule .... but it is not .... it is the rule. And everytime we hear our leaders talk about giving aid to Africa to help them with their problems .... remember that it is going to countries that are like Uganda (or worst).

Ugandan Forces Now Conducting Hot Pursuit Operations Against Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) Into The Central African Republic (CAR)

Uganda Pursues Rebels Into CAR -- BBC

Ugandan soldiers have taken their fight against the notorious Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) into the Central African Republic (CAR), the army has confirmed.

A military commander said the operation had been going on for a month with the permission of the CAR government.

The LRA's 20-year insurgency has spilt over several borders as it fights to overthrow Uganda's government and install a Bible-based theocracy.

The rebels are infamous for carrying out mutilations, kidnappings and rapes.

Tens of thousands of people have died and many more have been made homeless as LRA fighters have marauded throughout central Africa.

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My Comment: I was surprise to see this story from the BBC. This is one of the most under-reported wars in the world. It has been going on for decades, and it has consumed tens of thousands of lives .... and it shows no sign of ending.

Uganda: Christmas Massacres 'Killed 400'

Christmas Massacres 'Killed 400' -- The BBC

More than 400 people have been killed by Ugandan rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo in attacks since Christmas day, aid agency Caritas says.

The head of Caritas in DR Congo told the BBC some 20,000 people had fled to the mountains from the rebels, who have denied carrying out the attacks.

An eyewitness told the BBC that five people in Faradje had their lips cut off by Lord's Resistance Army fighters.

They were told that it was a warning not to speak ill of the rebels.

The armies of Uganda, South Sudan and DR Congo carried out a joint offensive against the rebels in mid-December after LRA leader Joseph Kony again refused to sign a peace deal.

The LRA leader, who has lived in a jungle hideout in north-eastern DR Congo for the last few years, is wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Uganda's government had been involved in lengthy peace negotiations with the LRA, hosted by the South Sudanese government.

But Mr Kony has demanded that arrest warrants for him and his associates be dropped before any agreement can be struck.

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More News On The Christmas Massacre

DR Congo victims 'hacked to death and forced into fires' -- ABC News (Australia)
Lord’s Resistance Army Kills 400 People in Congo, Caritas Says -- Bloomberg
Uganda rebels blame deaths on regional governments -- AFP

Massacre In Uganda

Fleeing Ugandan Rebels Massacre Nearly 200, U.N. Says -- New York Times

NAIROBI, Kenya — The Lord’s Resistance Army, the fearsome Ugandan rebel group known for its lurid violence and penchant for kidnapping children, massacred nearly 200 people last week, United Nations officials said on Monday.

The rebels were being chased by a multinational military offensive against them, and as they fled, they hacked to death dozens of villagers in their path, according to Ugandan military officials.

The killings may not be over. Most of the rebels escaped the military offensive and have scattered across a vast swath of rugged territory in the northeastern corner of Congo.

“The civilian population is really in danger,” said Ivo Brandau, a United Nations spokesman in Congo. “They are under attack.”

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More News On the Massacre In Uganda

Lord's Resistance rebels kill almost 200 in Congo: UN -- AFP
Witnesses report massacre at church in Congo -- AP
Lord’s Resistance Army Kills 189 in Congo Attack, UN Group Says -- Bloomberg
FACTBOX - Uganda's LRA rebels on killing spree -- Reuters

Ugandan Army Says Rebels Killed 45 People In Congo Church

From The Australian:

THE Ugandan army has accused Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebels of hacking to death 45 people in a church in north-eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

An aid official confirmed Friday's massacre, saying the killings took place in a Catholic church in the Doruma area, around 40km from the Sudanese border.

"We got information the rebels cut 45 people into pieces,'' army spokesman Captain Chris Magezi said.

"They were cut with pangas (machetes) and hit with clubs but some luckily managed to escape. Our forces came to know about the killings while pursuing the LRA yesterday and the pursuit is on for the killers,'' he said.

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