Uganda: Arrests Reveal Intelligence Fabrication to Condemn Islamist Group

SadaNews - For more than 15 years, Uganda has presented what it calls the "Allied Democratic Forces" as one of the most dangerous Islamist rebel groups in East Africa, accusing it of assassinations and bombings. However, the arrest of senior army officers on charges of fabricating intelligence information about the group has raised serious doubts about this official narrative.

The Africa Report website stated that the most prominent of those arrested is General James Birungi, the former head of the Ugandan military intelligence, along with two of his aides, Colonel Peter Ahimbisibwe, the former director of counter-terrorism, and Major Ephraim Biaruhanga, the former head of special operations.

Birungi is currently held in a military prison, despite having been the commander of the elite forces tasked with protecting President Yoweri Museveni, his family, and sovereign sites.

The arrests came after it was revealed that several alleged "terrorist" incidents in Kampala were fabricated, including a bomb threat at the Martyrs' Shrine in Munyonyo during the national "Martyrs' Day" and another one at the Kalerwe market. At that time, the army accused the Allied Democratic Forces of being behind the two incidents.

Birungi also claimed that an airstrike carried out by Ugandan forces in the Democratic Republic of Congo killed the movement's leader, Medi Nkalubo, which Museveni publicly praised, before it later became clear that Nkalubo is still alive and participating in new activities.

In response, Army Commander General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the president's son, ordered an investigation into the fabricated threats, leading to a series of arrests. When asked about the status of the investigations, army spokesperson General Felix Kulayige told Africa Report, "Do you expect me to discuss that? No. Let us do our job."

Between Truth and Political Exploitation

The Allied Democratic Forces were established in the mid-1990s as a coalition of factions opposing Museveni's rule, stemming from the Islamic missionary movement that experienced a surge following violent confrontations with security forces. Since then, the group has made the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo its base.

Despite Kampala repeatedly announcing the military defeat of the group, it has continued to portray it as a lethal threat, particularly after a series of bombings since 2020. In October 2021, a waitress was killed in a bar explosion in the suburb of Komamboga, then there was a suicide bombing on a bus between Kampala and Masaka, followed by the deaths of two children in a bomb explosion.

On November 16 of the same year, coordinated suicide bombings targeted the central police station and the road to Parliament in the capital, resulting in the deaths of at least 6 people and injuring dozens. The group has also been linked since 2010 to a series of prominent assassinations, including the murder of state attorney Joan Kagezi in 2015, and the assistant inspector general of police Andrew Kawesi in 2017, as well as MP Ibrahim Abiriga in 2018, without providing conclusive evidence in any of the cases.

Critics say that the Ugandan regime found in these narratives a way to justify assassinations and bombings, then attributed them to the group.

In June 2021, Minister of Works and Transport General Edward Katumba Wamala survived an assassination attempt, while his daughter and driver were killed. In October 2023, two tourists and a Ugandan guide were killed near Queen Elizabeth National Park, an attack that Museveni attributed to the Allied Democratic Forces.

The Cost of Fabricated Information

Intelligence failures have led to heavy losses, as Uganda launched a military operation against the bases of the Allied Democratic Forces in Congo in late 2021, which continues to this day.

Locally, every assassination or bombing left civilian victims, violent security raids, and arbitrary arrests, most of which later collapsed in court.

Prominent examples include the murder case of Kawesi in 2017, where 20 people were arrested and tortured to extract confessions, before being later acquitted and awarded more than 20,000 dollars each in damages.

Why Are Officers Being Exposed Now?

In a country where the official narrative surrounding the Allied Democratic Forces is tightly controlled, it is rare for anyone to question the government discourse, especially from within Islamic circles. Researcher Yahya Seremba from the Makerere Institute for Social Research told Africa Report that the Museveni regime has always presented itself to Washington as an indispensable ally in the "global war on terror," shielding it from scrutiny over its human rights record.

He adds, "This only works if it demonstrates that terrorism is real in the region. Amplifying the threat of the Allied Democratic Forces and portraying it as an exclusively Islamic group serves this purpose. It has become beneficial for the regime to orchestrate assassinations and plant bombs, then blame the group. These are not the actions of rogue individuals but part of the regime's survival mechanism."

Why Is the Regime Turning on Its Officers?

Seremba sees this as a reflection of an internal power struggle rather than an attempt to uncover the truth.

In his statement to Africa Report, he said, "The operation against some officers may indicate an internal conflict within the regime. Perhaps one side is seeking to eliminate competitors or impose its influence. It seems strange, but it is not surprising, especially given General Muhoozi Kainerugaba's unpredictable management style."

He concludes by saying, "It is no longer a secret that the regime itself is behind some of the dirty deeds attributed to the Allied Democratic Forces."

Source: Africa Report