According to the report, Ugandan forces have significantly expanded their footprint inside Congolese territory without formal approval from Kinshasa. Even more concerning are claims that Ugandan troops may be offering a protective corridor for the M23 rebel group , an allegation that could further damage already fragile regional relations.
Uganda has brushed off the latest accusations. Kampala has yet to issue a formal statement but has dismissed the findings, calling them baseless. Local journalist Musinguzi Blanshe, reporting from the Ugandan capital, said such dismissals are routine.
“Uganda has seen these reports before. The UN’s expert group has been tracking eastern DRC for years, and each time, Uganda features prominently in these documents,” Blanshe explained. “The government tends to wave them off, and historically, they haven’t led to any serious diplomatic fallout.”
Ugandan officials continue to insist that their presence in the DRC is solely aimed at combating the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a group Kampala labels a major security threat. But recent developments on the ground tell a different story.
“In the past year, Ugandan troops have been observed moving well beyond the known ADF zones,” Blanshe pointed out. “They have entered areas with no ADF activity and have even clashed with other militias like Coopérative pour le Développement du Congo (CODECO). These movements have raised difficult questions about Kampala’s real agenda.”
One such clash resulted in the death of a senior Ugandan officer, further highlighting the complexities of Uganda’s military engagements. Later reports revealed that leaders of the CODECO militia had travelled to Uganda and met with high-ranking military officials, adding to the speculation.
Beyond security concerns, analysts are pointing to economic motives behind Uganda’s continued involvement in eastern DRC. Uganda has become a major exporter of gold, registering figures of over $2 billion annually, a number that far exceeds its own known gold reserves.
“Much of the gold exported from Uganda comes from across the border in DRC,” said Blanshe. “There’s also the timber trade and other resources flowing through Uganda into international markets.”
Eastern DRC is not just a resource hub, but also a key market for Ugandan goods. Official trade figures indicate exports of around $700 million annually, with informal trade likely pushing the figure past the billion-dollar mark.
Infrastructure projects further complicate the picture. Since 2021, Ugandan troops have not only been deployed for security operations but have accompanied road construction teams working on key routes inside DRC. Remarkably, Uganda is covering a significant portion of the construction costs, which some see as part of a wider effort to secure trade routes and deepen economic ties.
Critics argue that Uganda’s expanding military footprint and growing economic stakes have less to do with regional security and more to do with controlling trade corridors and resources in the DRC’s lawless eastern provinces.
These developments come at a time of heightened mistrust between Kinshasa and its neighbours, with accusations of foreign meddling intensifying. While Uganda continues to deny any involvement with M23 or any other armed groups, the leaked UN report adds to a mounting body of claims suggesting otherwise.
--ChannelAfrica--
