Following the tragic killing of at least 37 secondary school students by attackers linked to the Islamic State, President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda has issued an order to send more troops to western Uganda. The assailants believed to be from the rebel group Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), carried out the attack at Lhubirira Secondary School in Mpondwe, near the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Reports indicate that the ADF militants not only killed the students but also abducted six others before fleeing towards the Virunga National Park across the border. The whereabouts of the abducted students remain unknown.
President Museveni confirmed the deployment of additional soldiers in the area, which encompasses the Rwenzori Mountain, a region from where the ADF launched their insurgency against his government during the 1990s.
Differing reports have emerged regarding the death toll, with privately owned NTV Uganda television stating it to be 41, while the state-run New Vision newspaper reported 42 deaths. New Vision specified that 39 of the deceased were students, some of whom were killed when the attackers triggered a bomb while escaping.
The attack has sparked widespread condemnation from international bodies such as the United Nations, the African Union, and the East African Intergovernmental Authority on Development. The people of Uganda have been deeply shocked by this incident.
President Museveni has also pledged a thorough investigation into any potential security lapses that may have contributed to the attack.
Although the Ugandan military largely defeated the ADF, remnants of the group sought refuge in the vast jungles of eastern Congo, from where they have continued their insurgency, targeting civilians and military personnel in both Congo and Uganda. In April, the ADF attacked a village in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, resulting in the deaths of at least 20 individuals.
