Ugandan army announces 'successful' air strikes in DRC

By Godfrey Olukya

KAMPALA, Uganda (AA) - Uganda’s armed forces claimed Tuesday that they had successfully carried out air strikes on Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo, although opposition lawmakers said the army’s deployment in Congo is illegal because it never got permission from parliament as required by the constitution.

“We hit ADF bases through air and artillery. We launched the strikes well knowing the targets. We did not miss the targets,” said Uganda People’s Defense Force (UPDF) spokesperson Flavia Byekwaso, addressing reporters.

She said they got to know the bases they targeted from the ADF suspects they arrested in Uganda following recent bomb blasts in the capital Kampala. She justified the deployment without seeking parliament’s authority, saying the president has powers to order such missions when he deems it necessary.

Opposition lawmakers said they wanted the deployment to be debated in parliament today but the speaker and government chief whip rejected it.

Speaking in parliament on behalf of the opposition, Mityana Municipality MP Francis Zaake said parliament was not consulted as required by the constitution when the UPDF took a decision to deploy in the DRC to flush out ADF rebels.

“The deployment of the UPDF in Congo has been done in contempt of parliament. I seek that the government explains that anomaly in this parliament,” he said.

The deputy speaker of parliament, Betty Among, rejected plans to have a debate on the matter, saying she is not aware of any UPDF deployment in the DRC.

Government Chief Whip Thomas Tayebwa denied knowledge of the deployment, saying the UPDF is simply engaging with the DRC army.

Ruling party lawmaker Enos Asiimwe supported a ban on debating the UPDF’s deployment, saying there are better avenues to handle the matter than making it public.