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President Museveni strongly condemns the Kamwenge attack, directing UPDF to reinstate LDUs in affected areas. Four attackers caused the deaths, including at Nyabugaando School and tourists. President Museveni pledged financial aid to victims’ families and the girl who reported the incident.

President Yoweri Museveni strongly condemns the recent attack of Kamwenge, resulting in the tragic loss of 10 lives. He has instructed the UPDF to reinstate the LDUs (local defense units) in the vicinity of Queen Elizabeth National Park, Kibaale Forest, and other affected areas.

The President has identified the assailants as a group of four individuals. Among the victims were “crop night watchmen against monkeys from the [Kibaale] forest,” discovered in a small village bar.

President Museveni reports that these attackers were responsible for the unfortunate deaths at Nyabugaando School, the killing of two tourists and their driver, as well as the destruction of an onion truck.

In response to this heinous act, the President has directed the State House Comptroller to provide financial assistance to the families who lost their loved ones in the Kamwenge attack, as well as to the courageous girl who managed to escape and report the incident.

President Museveni sternly warns the perpetrators that they will face justice for their crimes, along with any associates, unless they surrender and renounce terrorism. The President’s comprehensive remarks on this tragic event were shared on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday 20^th December, 2023.

Detailed Statement:

Fellow Ugandans and, especially the Bazzukulu.

Greetings.

Let me start by condemning the four-armed terrorists that killed 10 people, the night of Monday last, around the huge Kibaale forest.  The 10 were crop night watchmen against monkeys from the forest and some Bavuumbi (those who go for alcohol sessions).  The latter were found in a small village bar.

One young girl escaped from the killers. More could have escaped if they had been sensitized not to be docile when confronted by these killers.  Those 4 killers are the remnants of the Njovu-Kamusu group of 10 that entered Uganda from Congo second round, some weeks ago. They had crossed back to Congo but came back.  They are the group that killed the children of Nyabugaando School, killed the two tourists and their driver and burnt the onion truck.  Two of them were killed in the waters of Lake Edward by the marines and their leader Njovu was injured, captured and he is now facing charges in court. 

About a week ago, the CMI and the SFC Commandos destroyed a squad of 3 of that group including Kamusu that had replaced Njovu as the group leader.  Kamusu was shot although we have not seen his dead body yet. 

The other two dead bodies and their guns were abandoned by the terrorists at the encounter point.

On account of these repeated atrocities by these infiltrators from Congo, I have directed the UPDF to reactivate the force of the LDUs in the areas surrounding Queen Elizabeth National Parks, Kibaale Forests, the forests in Kyenjojo and Kagadi, Semuliki National Park and Bwindi National Park.  Since the terrorist’s cowardly attack soft targets in the form of unarmed civilians, we are reactivating our old method of transforming the village soft targets into lethal local hard points.  We are not short of manpower.  It only means deploying more resources to support the manpower.

In the meantime, this morning our various air-platforms, attacked the terrorist leaders in Congo －at Km 80 from the border.  We shall get the results after some days. They are paying for their bankruptcy.  I have directed the State House Comptroller (SHC) to send financial support to each of the families that lost their loved ones in Kamwengye and also to the girl who escaped from the killers and reported the incident.

The Woman MP for Kamwengye will co-ordinate this support with the office of the SHC. The terrorists were killing people using pangas because they were fearing to use bullets that would alert the population that is hostile to them.  Therefore, the girl who escaped must be saluted.  She is the one that alerted the area.  I have asked the Woman MP and the SHC to bring her to me so that I meet her and thank her for her bravery. 

The four pigs will pay for their crimes and so will all their associates if they do not surrender and abandon terrorism.