A brutal attack by a rebel group in Uganda left at least 41 people dead at a school, most of them students. Anguished relatives gathered at a morgue, seeking information about their loved ones. The victims were hacked, shot, or burned to death at the Lhubiriha school, located near the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where the jihadist militia known as the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) operates. The militia reportedly abducted six people and took them to the DRC. Many of the bodies were burned because the attackers set fire to a dormitory, making it difficult to identify and count the missing.
Pope Francis condemned the attack and offered his prayers for the victims. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the act “appalling.” The United States and the African Union also condemned the massacre and expressed their condolences.
The ADF, a rebel group initially originating in Uganda and later affiliated with the Islamic State, has been active since the mid-1990s. They have been accused of committing atrocities and killing thousands of civilians in the DRC. In 2019, they pledged allegiance to the Islamic State and carried out jihadist attacks in both the DRC and Uganda.
The situation raises questions about how the militiamen were able to evade detection in a border area with a significant military presence. The need for an investigation to clarify possible intelligence and security lapses has been noted.
This attack is considered the deadliest in Uganda since 2010, when the Al-Shabab group perpetrated a double bombing in Kampala. Despite joint Ugandan and DRC efforts to combat the ADF, the group’s attacks continue, posing additional security challenges in the region.