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- Uganda's air force launched three attacks inside the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
- Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has warned rebels that they are not safe under his watch.
- The United States has condemned the detention of Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine.
The Ugandan air force conducted air strikes in three different locations inside the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on Wednesday night, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni said.
In a statement, he said the air strikes were between 180 and 200 km into the DRC in Ituri Province.
His country's "fighter-bombers paid another visit to the terrorists, quite some distance inside Congo, in the Mambasa Territory area. They attacked three targets 180kms, 184kms, and 200kms, respectively, from the border on the Ntoroko side," he said.
This was the second onslaught on Islamic State militants linked to the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) in the space of a month.
In early September, Ugandan soldiers killed a reported 560 rebels and captured more than 80 in the Rwenzori mountains.
Those who escaped moved into Mambasa Territory where the air strikes were undertaken.
Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi invited Museveni into the DRC to help fight the rebels that had become a menace in the DRC, moving into communities, also on the Ugandan side.
For that, Museveni said he was grateful to be helping to improve the security situation in the two countries.
He said:
Museveni, a retired soldier said that it was "futile and very dangerous to the individuals involved, to think that they can kill Ugandans and be safe themselves."
Democracy under siege
While steadfast in fighting violent extremism, Museveni has come under pressure from the international community over his treatment of opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, popularly known by his music stage name Bobi Wine.
The United States embassy in Uganda said it was, "tracking" developments around the detention of Bobi Wine.
The mission also warned that "respect for freedom of assembly and allowing political parties to operate freely are fundamental values of democratic societies".
Bobi Wine was placed under house arrest after his arrival from a trip to South Africa on Thursday, his party, the National Unity Platform (NUP), said.
In one of his posts on X, he said he was under house arrest while the army and the police were blocking people from visiting or him leaving the compound.
"They have increased military and police deployment all around our home and blocked our visitors from coming in. Soldiers have broken part of our fence and forced their way into part of our compound to prevent me from leaving," he posted.
The News24 Africa Desk is supported by the Hanns Seidel Foundation. The stories produced through the Africa Desk and the opinions and statements that may be contained herein do not reflect those of the Hanns Seidel Foundation.
