The Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), working jointly with the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC), has carried out a military operation against an Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) camp in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, rescuing more than 130 abductees.
The operation targeted a rebel hideout near River Epulu, an area long associated with ADF activity. Military sources indicate that the camp had been under the control of a commander identified as Meya Ssebagala. During the offensive, a total of 138 captives were freed, marking one of the significant rescue missions in recent months.
The ADF, originally formed in Uganda in 1995, has over time transformed into one of the most dangerous armed groups operating in eastern Congo. Initially focused on overthrowing the Ugandan government, the group has since aligned itself with the Islamic State and is responsible for numerous attacks against civilians in both Uganda and the DRC.
In recent years, the group has intensified its operations, carrying out a series of high-profile and deadly attacks. In October 2023, suspected ADF militants killed a British couple and their Ugandan guide in Queen Elizabeth National Park. Earlier that same year, in June 2023, rebels attacked Lhubiriha Secondary School in Mpondwe, killing more than 40 people, most of them students, in a brutal assault involving machetes, gunfire, and arson.
The group was also behind the November 2021 twin suicide bombings in Kampala, which left at least three people dead and dozens injured. That period saw a string of additional attacks, including explosions on public transport and at a restaurant in Komamboga, raising fears of urban terrorism.
Security agencies have continued to warn of infiltration attempts, particularly along the Uganda-DRC border. In 2024, intelligence reports indicated that ADF operatives, including foreign bomb experts, had crossed into Uganda, prompting heightened surveillance in areas bordering Virunga National Park. More recent reports in 2026 point to continued killings and abductions in border communities.
Uganda and the DRC have been conducting joint military operations under Operation Shujaa since late 2021, combining airstrikes and ground offensives to dismantle ADF strongholds. However, the group has remained resilient, often splitting into smaller cells to evade capture while continuing attacks on civilians.
Commenting on the latest operation, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the UPDF Chief of Defence Forces and Senior Presidential Advisor on Special Operations, said:
“Two days ago, God’s Army and our FARDC allies attacked an ADF camp near River Epulu in Eastern DRC. The camp was under the control of the terrorist commander Meya Ssebagala. So far we have liberated 138 abductees. Our God destroys all our enemies.”
The latest rescue underscores ongoing efforts by regional forces to neutralize the ADF threat, even as the group continues to adapt and operate across porous borders.
Last year, an ADF operative was arrested two days before a Munyonyo bomb explosion, as reported Here.
