Allied Democratic Forces

The Allied Democratic Forces ( ADF ) is a rebel group opposed to the Ugandan government. It is based in western Uganda with rear bases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo . It began as a minor group in the forested Ruwenzori mountain range along the border in 1996, but expanded its activities over the next several years. As of 2004, the ADF had been largely destroyed by the Uganda Peoples Defense Force (UPDF). The ADF was formed by puritanical Muslim Ugandans of the Tabliq sect who merged with the remnants of another rebel group, the National Army for the Liberation of Uganda . The main figure of the group was Jamil Mukulu, a former Catholic. The members were largely from central Uganda, in particular Iganga, Masaka and Kampala , and portray themselves as religious crusaders. Beyond this vaguely stated religious ideology and statements that the government discriminates against Tabliqs, the ADF has given few coherent rationales for their insurgency. The ADF chose western Uganda apparently for three reasons: terrain that is ideal for a rural insurgency, proximity to the DRC where the rebels could set up bases and recruit fighters, and the presence of some Ugandan ethnic groups unfriendly to the government that could offer assistance. While the ADF carried on occasional attacks in 1996, they were largely ignored by the government. This changed in 1997 when the rebels sharply increased the number of attacks. Most were aimed at soft targets, such as camps of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and small villages, though an ambush of UPDF soldiers in Kasese district raised eyebrows. The number of incidents increased in 1998, a fact that some people blame on the lack of UPDF alpine units to track and fight the rebels in the mountains. A number of bomb blasts markets and restaurants in Kampala and elsewhere were blamed on the ADF. In the west, hundreds of civilians were murdered, large numbers of land mines were laid, attacks were made on civilian, police and UPDF locations. The number of IDPs rose to over 80,000. In February 1998, 30 students were abducted from a college in Kasese, while in June 80 college students were burned alive after they barrigaded themselves in their dormitory to keep the ADF rebels out. The abduction of youth, as well as numerous acts of brutality, led many to compare it to the Lord's Resistance Army activities in the north of the country. In 1999 the government gained the upper hand, forcing the ADF from their bases and into small bands that had to constantly move to escape UPDF forces. The government claims that their military presence, and the presence of Ugandan-backed proxy forces in the DRC, was vital in attacking these bases and cutting off supply lines. Despite this, the ADF gained a large number of weapons and some military training. The UPDF blamed the government of Sudan for supporting the ADF in retaliation for Ugandan support for the Sudan People's Liberation Army . Other government officials suggested that DRC President Laurent Kabila was arming the ADF through the Hutu ex- FAR / Interahamwe armed groups fighting in eastern Congo as part of his efforts to expel the foreign forces. The ADF was cooperating with the various Kabila-allied forces operating in the region. While fighting continued into 2000 and there have been sporadic attacks, the UPDF was largely successful in destroying the insurgency and securing the Ugandan conflict areas. A small ADF remnant remained in eastern Congo as of December 2004. In December 2005, UN and Congolese troops launched the Operation North Night Final , in order to destroy the rebel group and bring peace to the troubled Ituri district.

The Allied Democratic Forces ( ADF ) is a rebel group opposed to the Ugandan government and is considered a terrorist organisation. It is based in western Uganda with rear bases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo . It began as a minor group in the forested Ruwenzori mountain range along the border in 1996, but expanded its activities over the next several years. As of 2004, the ADF had been largely destroyed by the Uganda Peoples Defense Force (UPDF). Remnants fled to Eastern DRC where they established camps in Mwalika, Bundiguya and Eringeti areas. In February and March 2014 Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Government Forces reportedly launched operations against ADF-NALU in Beni. The UN Force Intervention Brigade (FIB) was expected to support the offensive aimed at neutralizing these rebels, who had been very active in this zone. The Alliance of Democratic Forces is made up of Islamist sects and Ugandan opposition forces, supported by the Government of Sudan , which fought the Government of Uganda.

The Allied Democratic Forces ( ; abbreviated ADF ) is a rebel group in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), considered a terrorist organisation by the Ugandan government . It was originally based in western Uganda but has expanded into the neighbouring DRC. Since the late 1990s, the ADF has operated in the DRC's North Kivu province near the border with Uganda. While repeated military offensives against the ADF have severely affected it, the ADF has been able to regenerate because its recruitment and financial networks have remained intact.

Ugandan rebel group Not to be confused with Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo . The Allied Democratic Forces ( ; abbreviated ADF ) is an Islamist rebel group in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), considered a terrorist organisation by the Ugandan government . It was originally based in western Uganda but has expanded into the neighbouring DRC. Most Ugandan ADF fighters are Muslims from the Baganda and Basoga ethnic groups. Since the late 1990s, the ADF has operated in the DRC's North Kivu province near the border with Uganda. While repeated military offensives against the ADF have severely affected it, the ADF has been able to regenerate because its recruitment and financial networks have remained intact. Some of the attacks it has been blamed for also appear to have been committed by other rebel groups as well as the Congolese Armed Forces. From 2015, the ADF experienced a radicalisation after the imprisonment of its leader Jamil Mukulu and the rise of Musa Baluku in his place. From 2019, the ADF had split, with one part remaining loyal to Mukulu, while the other had merged into the Islamic State's Central Africa Province under Baluku. Suspected Ugandan Islamist rebel attack in Congo kills at least five | The Japan Times "DR Congo poll: Five things to know about the nation that powers mobile phones" . A biography of the Allied Democratic Forces" .

Ugandan rebel group Not to be confused with Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo . The Allied Democratic Forces ( French : Forces démocratiques alliées ; abbreviated ADF ) is a Ugandan Islamist rebel group based in western Uganda and eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo . It is considered a terrorist organisation by the Ugandan government and the United States. Originally based in western Uganda , it has expanded into the neighbouring Congo. Most ADF fighters are Ugandan Muslims from the Baganda and Basoga ethnic groups. Since the late 1990s, the ADF has operated in the Congo's North Kivu province near the border with Uganda. While repeated military offensives against the ADF have severely affected it, the ADF has been able to regenerate because its recruitment and financial networks have remained intact. Some of the attacks it has been blamed for also appear to have been committed by other rebel groups as well as the Congolese Armed Forces. From 2015, the ADF experienced a radicalisation after the imprisonment of its leader Jamil Mukulu and the rise of Musa Baluku in his place. From 2019, the ADF had split, with one part remaining loyal to Mukulu, while the other had merged into the Islamic State's Central Africa Province under Baluku. A biography of the Allied Democratic Forces" .