By Frank Kamuntu
Ugandan police foiled a bomb attack on churches by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebel group Sunday about 50 kilometres (31 miles) from the capital Kampala, President Yoweri Museveni said.
The ADF made two bombs, which they “were planning to plant in churches in Kibibi, Butambala”, Museveni wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
But the devices “were reported to police and defused”, he added.
The ADF group has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group.
Earlier Sunday, Museveni, said Ugandan forces had carried out air strikes against ADF positions in neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo.
“It seems quite a number of terrorists were killed,” the president said on X, without elaborating.
The ADF could attempt “to commit some random terrorist acts” in Uganda following the airstrikes, he warned.
In September, Ugandan police said they had foiled another bomb attack on a Kampala cathedral, arresting a man suspected of trying to activate the explosive device among worshipers.
In June, ADF militia members killed 42 people including 37 students in a high school in western Uganda near the border with DR Congo.
It was one of the deadliest attacks in Uganda since the 2010 double attack in Kampala that killed 76 people in a raid claimed by the Somali-based Islamist group al-Shabaab.
In its latest report in June, a United Nations expert panel on DR Congo confirmed ISIS had “provided financial support to the ADF since at least 2019”.
Read Museveni’s Full Message Below;
”Fellow Ugandans, especially the Bazzukulu. Musibiire-gye- musiibye-mutya (good afternoon) Further to my morning message about the devastating attacks our Air-force carried out against ADF in Congo yesterday, today, through popular vigilance (Wanainchi Kuwa macho), two bombs which the remnants from Congo were planning to plant in churches in Kibibi, Butambala, were reported to the Police and defused.
The Police is working to establish the exact identity of the individuals involved. We shall get them wherever they go: Congo, Uganda, South Africa, or wherever they go.
Wanainchi be vigilant. Report strangers. Do not accept gifts from strangers. In Kibibi, the pastors had been sent public address systems linked to bombs. However, the Wanainchi were suspicious and reported. The evil plan was foiled, thanks to everybody.”
https://x.com/KagutaMuseveni/status/1713520225239351354?s=20
