February 15, 2025 – Uganda’s military chief, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has warned that Ugandan forces will attack the eastern Congolese town of Bunia unless “all forces” there surrender their weapons within 24 hours. He made the declaration in a post on X, stating that he had the authority of President Yoweri Museveni, who is also his father. Uganda’s military spokesperson declined to comment.
Kainerugaba claimed, without evidence, that members of the Bahima ethnic group were being targeted in the Democratic Republic of Congo. “My people, the Bahima, are being attacked. No one on this earth can kill my people and think he will not suffer for it!” he wrote. In a separate post, he declared, “Bunia will soon be in UPDF hands,” referring to the Uganda People’s Defence Force.
Congo’s Prime Minister, Judith Suminwa, when asked about the remarks on the sidelines of the African Union summit, said her government had “no comment to make.” The warning has raised fears that the ongoing conflict between Congolese forces and Rwandan-backed M23 rebels could escalate into a broader regional war.
On Friday, an M23 leader announced that rebels had entered Bukavu, the second-largest city in eastern Congo, following their capture of Goma at the end of last month. Earlier in February, Reuters, citing U.N. sources, reported that Uganda had deployed more than 1,000 additional soldiers in eastern Congo, officially to assist in fighting Islamist militants. However, U.N. experts claim Uganda has also provided support to the Tutsi-led M23 rebels.
Kainerugaba has previously expressed support for Rwandan President Paul Kagame and has referred to M23 as “brothers of ours” fighting for Tutsi rights in Congo. In 2022, he made similar statements, which analysts say reflect Uganda’s strategic and economic interests in Ituri province, where Bunia is the capital.
Kristof Titeca, a professor at the University of Antwerp, suggested that Uganda is sending a message about its role in the region. “This situation resembles the 1998 Second Congolese War when Uganda and Rwanda divided control of eastern Congo,” he told Reuters.
