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UPDF’s Land Forces Commander Lt. Gen. Kayanja Muhanga has urged the DRC government to disregard recent provocative tweets from General Muhoozi Kainerugaba and his aide, Andrew Mwenda.
Muhanga, this morning sought to allay concerns arising from the posts by the Chief of Defence Forces of the Ugandan army, which appeared to be laced with tribal sentiments.
These remarks come amidst the UPDF's deployment in Bunia, Ituri Province, aimed at curbing escalating violence in the region.
During deliberations on the potential deployment of Ugandan troops to the DRC, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the Chief of Defence Forces and son of President Yoweri Museveni, took to social media to express personal motivations for the intervention.
He implied that the deployment was meant to protect the people of his own blood living in Bunia, who were being killed by local militias.
In a tweet dated February 15, 2025, he stated:
I want to say one more thing. My blood is being killed in Bunia, Eastern DRC. My people, the Bahima, are being attacked. That's a very dangerous situation for those attacking my people. No one on this earth can kill my people and think he will not suffer for it!
The following day, he added:
My Bahima of Bunia, I'm coming.
Andrew Mwenda, a close associate and aide to General Kainerugaba, echoed these sentiments. On February 15, he tweeted:
The video below shows what Congolese militias are doing in Bunia, eastern DRC. The CDF, @mkainerugaba, has expressed his and @KagutaMuseveni's concern regarding these atrocities.
We had an agreement with the government in Kinshasa to deploy UPDF in Bunia on Wednesday last week. They cancelled the deployment at the last minute. The people being killed speak Runyakitara.
Mwenda further claimed that 21 tribes in Ituri had formed a political organisation and armed militias to defend themselves, criticizing the Kinshasa government's inability to protect its citizens and its reluctance to allow UPDF intervention.
He warned of a potential humanitarian catastrophe if no action was taken.
These declarations raised alarms within the DRC government, with concerns that the Ugandan military's involvement might be driven by ethnic allegiances rather than a neutral peacekeeping mission.
Kayanja clarifies
In response, Lt Gen Kayanja Muhanga addressed officials from the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) to clarify Uganda's position.
"Our presence in Bunia is a continuation of our longstanding collaboration with FARDC," General Muhanga said.
"We are here solely to support the Congolese people, irrespective of their tribal affiliations. The narratives circulating on social media should be disregarded. If there are any concerns, please address them directly with me. Our deployment was agreed upon with President Tshisekedi's government to work together for peace."
Ugandan military spokesperson, Maj. Gen. Felix Kulayigye, confirmed earlier the joint efforts, stating that the UPDF and FARDC had agreed on a collaborative deployment in Bunia to address the escalating violence perpetrated by armed groups.
He stated that both forces now jointly control the city to prevent further ethnic clashes.
The situation in Bunia has been volatile, marked by longstanding conflicts between the Lendu farming community and the Hema pastoralists.
The recent surge in violence has led to more civilian casualties and displacement.