UPDF Captures ADF Leader’s Base in Eastern DRC as Joint Operations Intensify
EASTERN DRC, July 11, 2025 – The Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), operating under Operation Shujaa in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), have successfully captured a key base belonging to Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) leader Musa Baluku. The base, located in Apakwang, Ituri Province, was a major stronghold that reportedly accommodated between 1,000 and 1,500 terrorists and their families.
The Commander of Defence Forces, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, announced the operation’s success on Friday, July 11, stating that UPDF troops launched the offensive on Thursday, seizing the vast camp and securing extensive fields of rice, beans, and cassava. He noted that a hot pursuit of fleeing ADF fighters towards the west was ongoing.
In an earlier engagement on Sunday, July 6, Ugandan troops also deployed air and artillery strikes against ADF positions, intensifying pressure on the group’s remnants.
Gen. Kainerugaba, who also serves as the Senior Presidential Advisor for Special Operations, extended gratitude to the Congolese Armed Forces (FARDC) for their continued partnership and coordination in the joint military operations.
Continued Security Threats in Beni Territory
In a related development, UN sources confirmed that joint FARDC-UPDF forces are pursuing ADF rebels suspected of killing 10 civilians between July 9 and 10 in Beu-Manyama, located in Beni territory, North Kivu Province.
The attackers reportedly fled into the Samboko forest after abducting several individuals. Local military sources said that the bodies of the victims—discovered by young community volunteers—were taken to Oicha General Hospital on Thursday evening.
According to civil society leaders in Beni, the Beu-Manyama area—an agricultural zone along the border with Ituri Province—was hit by two consecutive attacks on Tuesday and Wednesday. The armed assailants are believed to have crossed over from the neighboring Irumu territory.
This violence disrupts a region that had experienced over six months of peace, allowing hundreds of farmers to return to their land. The recent attacks targeted the agricultural hubs of Kasoko and Katere, areas widely cultivated by farmers from Beni, Butembo, and surrounding regions.
The area is known for producing cocoa, cassava, maize, beans, and various legumes, and the resurgence of violence threatens to reverse the progress made by local communities in restoring livelihoods.
