DR Congo, Uganda sign defense, security agreement

By Godfrey Olukya

KAMPALA, Uganda (AA) - The Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda have signed a defense and security agreement for conducting joint operations against armed groups in the bordering regions.

In their joint communiqué, the two sides reaffirm that the pooling of forces aims to track down all armed groups, including the ADF, in Ituri and North Kivu in the eastern DR Congo.

“It is a general agreement but a framework for pooling our armed forces which is in progress, in particular in the fight against ADF. You know, that ADF is an enemy of both Congo and Uganda,” Congolese Defense Minister Gilbert Kabnada said.

Uganda’s Defense Minister Vincent Bamalangaki, for his part, said: “What is very important in this agreement is the union of efforts between the Congolese and Ugandan armies to achieve the objectives of these operations.”

The two sides said that these operations will continue to be carried out with strict respect for human rights and the sovereignty of the two countries.

They appreciated the progress made so far in the joint military operations in the territories of Irumu in Ituri and Beni in North Kivu.

Patrick Muyaya, a DR Congo government spokesman, said that since the joint operation began on Nov. 30, 31 Congolese taken hostage by ADF were released and 30 ADF terrorists captured.

The ADF, a Daesh/ISIS-affiliated rebel group, is accused of causing mayhem in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and being responsible for recent bomb blasts in the Ugandan capital Kampala.