Fataki, Eastern DRC | In one of the most significant engagements since their deployment in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) killed 242 militants from the CODECO rebel group during intense clashes over two days in Fataki, Ituri Province.
The fierce encounters unfolded on March 18 and 19 when heavily armed CODECO fighters launched coordinated early-morning assaults on UPDF positions in an apparent bid to dislodge the Ugandan troops. The attacks were repulsed with overwhelming firepower, resulting in heavy losses for the rebel group.
“On Wednesday, 31 militants were neutralised in combat. On Thursday, the numbers surged dramatically — we counted 211 enemy dead after the dust settled,” said Acting Defence spokesperson Col Chris Magezi. “Our forces displayed discipline, resilience, and tactical superiority in defending their positions.”
The UPDF lost one soldier in the fighting, while four others were wounded. The injured have been airlifted to Uganda for specialised treatment and are expected to recover.
“The sacrifice of our fallen comrade will not be in vain. The injured are receiving the best possible care, and their condition is stable,” Col Magezi confirmed.
The UPDF presence in Fataki is part of a broader deployment under Operation Shujaa, a joint military campaign with the Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC) targeting multiple rebel factions, including the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) and the increasingly violent CODECO — the Cooperative for Development of the Congo.
CODECO, largely composed of Lendu ethnic militants, recently allied with the ADF, a group notorious for its links to international terrorist networks. Over recent months, CODECO has escalated attacks against the Hema community in Ituri, leaving a trail of destruction and mass killings in its wake.
“The massacres at the hands of ruthless CODECO militias have left hundreds of Hema people dead, mainly women and children. Entire habitat villages have been left torched, looted, and destroyed,” said Col Magezi.
He added: “The UPDF presence in Fataki, as well as in the neighbouring provincial towns of Bunia and Mahagi has come as a welcome relief to the local communities in the area who for years have endured relentless attacks against them by Lendu and allied militia groups.”
The Ugandan deployment in towns like Bunia, Mahagi, and Fataki aims to block the movement of fleeing ADF elements and disrupt the growing collaboration between insurgent groups in the region.
The increased UPDF activity is also expected to stem the growing humanitarian crisis, with thousands of Congolese civilians fleeing across the border into Uganda. According to UNHCR figures, the recent uptick in violence has driven more than 10,000 people to seek asylum in Uganda over the past month alone.
