The Ugandan army confirmed on Sunday that it has deployed troops to Mahagi town in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to combat local armed groups, raising concerns that the escalating conflict could expand into a broader war.
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Defense and Military Affairs spokesperson Felix Kulayigye told AFP that Ugandan forces had taken control of Mahagi at the request of the Congolese army, following reports of civilian massacres by the Cooperative for the Development of Congo (CODECO) militia. He did not provide further details.
Mahagi, located in Ituri province near the Ugandan border, recently witnessed the killing of at least 51 people on February 10, according to humanitarian and local sources. CODECO, a militia claiming to protect the Lendu farming community against the Hema herders, has been responsible for numerous attacks in the region.
Uganda already has a significant military presence in other parts of Ituri under an agreement with the Congolese government. In February, Ugandan forces announced they had taken control of the provincial capital, Bunia.
Ituri borders North and South Kivu, where the M23 rebel group seized key territories in January. The DRC government accuses Rwanda of supporting M23, a claim Kigali denies.
Analysts warn that Uganda and Rwanda’s increasing involvement in eastern DRC could reignite a conflict similar to the Second Congo War (1998–2003), which saw multiple African nations drawn into the fighting, leading to millions of deaths from violence, disease, and famine.
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