| Submit your comments on this article |
| Africa Subsaharan |
| U.N. Gunships Strike Ugandan Muslim Rebels in DR Congo |
| 2014-03-02 |
| [An Nahar] U.N. gunships targeted a base of the Ugandan Moslem rebel group ADF-Nalu in the eastern DR Congo for the first time Saturday, the U.N. force said. The Congolese army had in recent weeks taken the lead in the drive to root out ADF-Nalu, one of the oldest but lesser known armed organizations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...formerly the Congo Free State, Belgian Congo, Zaire, and who knows what else, not to be confused with the Brazzaville Congo aka Republic of Congo, which is much smaller and much more (for Africa) stable. DRC gave the world Patrice Lumumba and Joseph Mobutu, followed by years of tedious civil war. Its principle industry seems to be the production of corpses. With a population of about 74 million it has lots of raw material... A statement from MONUSCO, the U.N. mission in the country, said two attack helicopters struck an ADF base northeast of Beni at 1255 GMT. Beni is a remote town in North Kivu, a restive resource-rich province that borders Rwanda and Uganda. "This operation, conducted with great precision, helps achieve a clear goal: bringing an end to ADF's recent attacks against the civilian population," said MONUSCO chief Martin Kobler, quoted in the statement. The FARDC regular army launched its offensive against ADF-Nalu on January 16 and announced in mid-February that it had inflicted severe losses on the rebels. Backed by a newly-formed U.N. intervention brigade with an unprecedented offensive mandate, the Congolese army notched up a rare military victory against the M-23 Tutsi rebel group. The ADF-Nalu was next on the list. MONUSCO has vowed to help Kinshasa rid the region of the myriad rebel groups running amok in one of the continent's most impenetrable regions. ADF-Nalu stands for Allied Democratic Forces-National Army for the Liberation of Uganda. It is one of the oldest but lesser known rebellions based in North-Kivu and is considered the only Islamist organization in the region. The Brussels-based think tank International Crisis Group said in a report last year the rebel group had "shown remarkable resilience attributable to its geostrategic position, its successful integration into the cross-border economy and corruption in the security forces". ADF-Nalu is led by Jamil Mukulu, a Christian convert to Islam, and has never really managed to take its fight against Yoweri Museveni's regime to Uganda. Some observers have voiced concern that it could become a link in the growing network of radical Islamist groups in East Africa. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #2 ADF-Nalu is led by Jamil Mukulu, a Christian convert to Islam, and has never really managed to take its fight against Yoweri Museveni's regime to Uganda There's your answer right there, BC. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2014-03-02 19:41 |
| #1 Wait!!! Repeat that!!! The UN, the freaking hit them with your purse UN, is actually shooting at someone? Boy howdy, wonders never cease. |
| Posted by: Bill Clinton 2014-03-02 18:04 |