The Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces-UPDF has halted the use of armored vehicles in the ongoing ground offensive against the Allied Democratic Force- ADF rebels due to the poor roads in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
On Tuesday, The UPDF, in a joint operation with DRC forces, launched a series of strikes against the Allied Democratic Forces-ADF militants in neighboring Congo.
The operation was intended to drive the militants out of their bases. It came after a series of terror attacks in different parts of Uganda, all of which were blamed on the ADF.
Addressing the media in Bundibugyo on Friday, Maj. Peter Mugisa the spokesperson for the Joint Operation said that the UPDF has opened a base at Mukakati Village in North Kivu Province which is 18km to the ADF camps and 9Km to River Semuliki.
North Kivu
He however says that UPDF trucks and other heavy equipment are stuck and can’t cross from Mukanga Village to the ADF camps due to the bad roads.
Mugisa added that they will halt the operation for a week as they wait for UPDF Graders and other equipment to open the roads and also repair the Semuliki Bridge.
On Thursday, Léon-Richard Kasonga, spokesman for the Congolese army, said that the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (French: Forces armées de la république démocratique du Congo([FARDC) and UPDF had started a ground offensive crackdown against the ADF.
Mugisa also said that the information so far received indicate that the Tuesday airstrikes hit hard ADF camps of Yayuwa, Thondoli, Beli 1 and Beli II. URN