Reliable information reaching Taarifa Congo Desk Indicates that Uganda People’s Defence Forces are currently in charge of Bunia.
“TheCongolese army referred to as Forces Armées de la République Démocratique du Congo (FARDC) is no longer present in Bunia,” a reliable military source told Taarifa in Goma on Sunday.
The revelation follows threats issued on Saturday via X platform by the chief of Ugandan defence forces, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba that his country was considering attacking Bunia.
“Bunia will soon be in UPDF hands,” Gen. Muhoozi said, adding that Uganda is being prompted to conduct an attack on Bunia because of attacks targeting people of Bahima tribe to which Muhoozi himself belongs.
The source explained that Ugandan troops have for some days been controlling Bunia, “FRDC soldiers cannot deploy in Bunia,” he said without divulging details, but added that Uganda had planned for this several months ago and had installed a congolese of Lendu tribe to manage the military affairs in Bunia.
It should be noted that Uganda and DRC militaries are allied in the joint combating against ADF rebels that have persistently conducted terrorist attacks on Ugandan territory.
The joint offensive code-named ‘Operation Shujaa’ launched in November 2021 seeks to eliminate insurgent forces in Kivu and Ituri, mainly Islamic State (IS) affiliates and the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF).
Bunia with the size of 576 square kilometers hosting a million residents is the capital city of Ituri Province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
