Uganda has deployed over 1,000 additional soldiers to eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) within the past week, intensifying concerns about a potential regional escalation, according to diplomatic and UN sources. The deployment is near areas where Kinshasa’s government forces are engaged in combat with M23 rebels. Local residents reported troop movements toward the conflict zones.
The Rwandan-backed M23 recently captured the regional capital, Goma, in the mineral-rich and conflict-prone eastern DRC. The region has experienced devastating wars in 1996-1997 and 1998-2003, involving neighboring countries and resulting in millions of deaths, largely from hunger and disease.
The new Ugandan forces, deployed north of Goma, are said to raise their total presence to 4,000-5,000 troops, officially tasked with supporting President Félix Tshisekedi’s army against the Islamist Allied Defence Forces (ADF). The deployment is part of “Operation Shujaa,” initiated in 2021 to combat the ADF. However, UN experts have noted Uganda’s alleged support for the Tutsi-led M23, a recurring Rwanda-backed rebel group advocating for the rights of Congo’s Tutsi minority.
Despite these claims, Uganda has denied providing aid to M23 or acting against the Congolese army. Ugandan army spokesperson Felix Kulayigye dismissed reports of a major deployment, stating that their forces had shifted to an “offensive defense posture.” Meanwhile, Congo’s Communications Minister, Patrick Muyaya, emphasized that Uganda’s official role in the region is to fight the ADF but did not rule out engagement with M23 rebels or Rwandan forces.
The situation remains complex, with reports from residents in Butembo describing columns of Ugandan soldiers moving southward toward M23 frontlines. Corneille Nangaa, leader of the Alliance Fleuve Congo—an umbrella group including M23 fighters—denied receiving Ugandan support but did not anticipate hostility from Kampala.
M23, which has seized much of North Kivu province, has reportedly consolidated its control over Goma and advanced toward Bukavu. Although facing resistance from Congolese and Burundian forces, M23 leaders have indicated no intention of capturing Bukavu.
Both Uganda and Rwanda have previously intervened in eastern Congo under the pretext of border security but have faced accusations of exploiting the region’s natural resources, particularly gold. Analysts, such as Zobel Behalal of the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, note that eastern Congo holds strategic economic importance for Uganda and Rwanda, with Uganda’s troop buildup likely aimed at safeguarding its interests amid the conflict.
Uganda’s role in combating the ADF—an Islamic State-aligned group originally from Uganda but based in the DRC since the late 1990s—has involved significant ground and air operations, disrupting ADF strongholds. However, the ambiguous stance of Ugandan leadership, including Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the influential son of President Yoweri Museveni, has raised concerns. Kainerugaba has openly supported Rwanda’s government and referred to M23 as “brothers of ours” in their fight for Tutsi rights in Congo.
The volatile dynamics in eastern Congo continue to fuel tensions, with fears of further escalation drawing the attention of regional and international stakeholders.