A Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF) Colonel, David Byaruhanga, has died after sustaining injuries in the fight against Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebel collaborating with Cooperative for Development of Congo (CODECO) militia mid this week.
CODECO attacked UPDF on Wednesday and Thursday at Fataki, Eastern DRC according to Col Chris Magezi the Acting Army Spokesperson said. “Hundreds of heavily armed Lendu militants fighting under CODECO – the Cooperative for Development of the Congo this week attacked a UPDF Battle Group stationed in Fataki, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo for two consecutive days in an attempt to dislodge it and failed,” Col Magezi said.
CODECO militias attacked the UPDF blocking force on Wednesday and Thursday in early morning raids but were repulsed on each occasion with the group sustaining heavy casualties in the process. Col Magezi said 31 militias were killed in action on Wednesday, and another 211 died on Thursday morning, yesterday.
“The UPDF suffered one fatality, while 4 other soldiers were injured over the course of the attacks. The UPDF casualties have since been evacuated to the rear in Uganda for further management, with all the injured soldiers expected to recover. The UPDF deployed in the area a few weeks ago to prevent fleeing ADF remnants from infiltrating the area while escaping mounting pressure from the joint forces of UPDF and FARDC under Operation Shujaa,” Col Magezi said.
According to Col Magezi, the dead soldier was Col David Byaruhanga. UPDF said the CODECO militias recently struck a pact with the ADF terrorist group and have over the last few months stepped up violent attacks against other Congolese communities in the Ituri Province region, especially those from the Hema ethnic group.
Col Magezi added that 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. “The UPDF presence in Fataki, as well as in the neighboring 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,” Col Magezi said.
According to UPDF deployments in the northern Ituri region is also expected to stem the flow of refugees, hundreds of whom have been crossing the international border into Uganda for several weeks now seeking safety and protection. UPDF deployed in DRC in November 2021 after ADF’s suicide bombing activities in Kampala left nine people dead and over 40 injured.