Uganda says 20 killed in raid near DRCongo border

KAMPALA, Uganda

At least 20 people including three soldiers were killed last Friday in an attack on an army post in Uganda, near its border with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), by raiders including members of Congolese militias, said an army announcement.

Deputy army spokesperson Lt. Col. Deo Akiiki said on Tuesday the attackers were armed with bows, arrows, machetes, and spears, and they intended to steal guns.

A limited presence of the DRC's government in mineral-rich eastern provinces may have contributed to continued insecurity in the area, with fighting among numerous armed groups and local self-defense militias over resources, as residents of the area have long accused the government in the capital Kinshasa of neglect.

On Nov. 1, 2019, the DRC army announced an operation against militias operating in eastern provinces.

Attacks have caused tens of thousands of people to flee their homes into neighboring Uganda over time.

The Ugandan army has stepped up its border patrols following the attack, according to Akiiki.