By Our Reporter
BENI/DRC
The President of the Democratic Republic of Congo His Excellency, Felix Tshisekedi has gifted the Uganda peoples Defence Forces under Operation Shujaa with ten brand new Land cruiser utility pick-up trucks.
According to Chris Magezi, the UPDF Acting Spokesperson, the donation is a way of appreciation for UPDF’s job well done in fighting the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) terrorists, who have for long terrorised people in the two countries of Congo and Uganda especially eastern DRC.
While handing over the vehicles on behalf of the president, the Governor North Kivu Maj Gen Somo Kakule Evariste on Friday, 31st July, 2026 said the president was appreciative of the good working relationship between the DRC government and Uganda, and the two Armies joint operations against the ADF terrorists. The vehicles will help in intensifying operations against the remaining ADF terrorists in order to restore complete security in the region. The Ituri governor appreciated the efforts of the joint forces FARDC and UPDF for the peace and calm in eastern DR congo .
Maj Gen Stephen Mugerwa, the UPDF Joint Task Force commander Operation Shujaa and and commander of the Mountain infantry Division received the vehicles on behalf of the UPDF and the Ugandan government.
Speaking at the same function in Beni Maj Gen Mugerwa, on behalf of the Commander In Chief His Excellency Gen Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, the President of Uganda and the Chief of Defence Forces UPDF Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, thanked His Excellency President Tshisekedi for the good gesture towards the UPDF and promised that the joint forces will not rest until all the ADF terrorists are wiped out completely from Eastern DRC.
From the time operation Shujaa was launched in November 2021, a number of remarkable achievements have been registered by the joint forces FARDC and UPDF. Among them, relative peace has been restored in eastern DRC, Displaced people have been able to go back to their homes, thousands of abductees have been rescued, ADF has been degraded, and most of its senior commanders have been put out of action.
In addition, schools have reopened and inter regional trade has significantly been boasted. Similarly, infrastructure projects such as a number of roads are being worked on. They include Beni – Khasindi, Beni – Biakato, Biakato Mangina and Luna Komanda among others.
This development has seen the volume of cargo trucks increase from 13000 a months to 30000 plus between the two countries.
Operation Shujaa is an ongoing military offensive conducted by the Uganda Peoples Defence Forces and Forces Armees de la Republique du Congo (FARDC) against the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) in Kivu and Ituri regions. The operation was launched in November 2021 following a series of bomb attacks in the Capital Kampala.
The ADF attacks prompted the Ugandan President Gen Yoweri Kaguta Museveni to declare that the ADF militants would be hunted down in their hideouts. President Museveni subsequently met with the president of the DRC Felix Tshishekedi and the two agreed to organise a joint operation force against the regional terrorists.
