Ugandan police and soldiers are on high alert in Kasese, near Uganda’s western border with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), as fighting between government forces and Ugandan rebels continue to claim lives with about 40 people killed since February’s presidential election.
Two Uganda People Defence Forces (UPDF) soldiers were hacked to death on Sunday allegedly by guards of Rwenzururu kingdom cultural leader Wesley Mumbere.
The rebel leader involved in the attack on the security forces, Julius Kule, was shot dead by police shortly afterwards.
Two weeks ago another two people were hacked to death, one of them a police officer during another rebel attack on police.
Mumbere, meanwhile, claims four of his guards were killed by security forces, or their agents, during the last few weeks of bloody clashes.
Kasese is a town in the restive Rwenzururu region.
Rwenzururu is located in the Rwenzori Mountains but also refers to an armed historical movement fighting to achieve either autonomy or sovereignty for the region which incorporates Bundibugyo, Kasese and Ntoroko.
Political divisions, as well as intra-tribal fighting between the Baamba and Bakonjo tribes in the area, are some of the reasons behind the violence with the Bakonjo accusing the security forces of taking sides.
Last week Ugandan police intelligence warned that the country’s security forces were expecting a spike in attacks following the unsuccessful petition of an opposition leader to have February’s elections annulled.
Last Thursday Uganda’s Supreme Court dismissed third runner-up, and losing presidential candidate Amama Mbabazi’s attempt to have the elections annulled on allegations of corruption and failing to follow electoral procedure.
The police intelligence report said Rwenzururu youth (Esyamango) were recruiting fighters in Kasese and Bundibugyo.
The recruits were allegedly then taken to centres, where they are given political briefings and then trained in the use of bows and arrows which allegedly have been used to kill police and political opponents.
The intelligence report further alleged that the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a rebel group of Islamic fundamentalists which has been fighting the Ugandan government for decades, has joined forces with the Esyamango fighters after infiltrating the border from DRC.
The ADF was formerly based in Western Uganda but was driven out by the Ugandan military and is now located in the DRC’s North Kivu province, which borders Uganda.
Simultaneously as military tensions build up on Uganda’s western border; political tensions are building up in the capital Kampala and elsewhere in the country.
Following the dismissal of Mbabazi’s petition, President Yoweri Museveni warned that he would crush any opposition protests challenging his victory.
“Opposition MPs who will want to work, we shall work with them on development issues but if they want to protest, we shall refuse,” Museveni said.
“If you want to protest, go to your home or to a playground and do everything you want … but don’t attempt playing in my garden. I can kill you,” he added.
Museveni’s threats could be put to the test in the near future following Friday’s release of General David Sejusa, a senior army officer, who is facing court martial.
Sejusa who was released from Luzira maximum security prison in Kampala on bail has vowed to continue his fight against the government.
His charges include insubordination, participating in political activities and absconding from duty in violation of military law.
The charges follow Sejusa’s attendance of an opposition rally by Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) leader Dr Kizza Besigye and engaging in political commentary on a TV talk show last year.
Sejusa is accused of addressing the crowd and canvassing for political support for the FDC in contravention of Uganda’s Political Parties and Organisations Act.
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