Uganda to Recruit 1,400 LDUs as ADF Strikes Kamwenge Again

In a Christmas Day attack, suspected Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels have killed three family members in Kamwenge District, prompting security to announce the recruitment of members of the Local Defence Unit (LDUs), a paramilitary defence group.

On December 25, suspected ADF rebels attacked Kamwenge District’s Kyabituusi village and killed members of one family.

The suspected ADF rebels, whose attack was the second in a space of one week, killed an elderly man and two of his grandchildren.

The attackers burnt the elderly man, aged about 70, and the grandchildren he was staying with, aged 13 and five.

UPDF spokesperson Brig Felix Kulayigye has confirmed that the first phase of recruitment will start on December 27 and end on January 10. At least 1,400 LDUs will be recruited. Each of the parishes will have 12 LDUs.

The recruitment will cover the districts of Kamwenge, Kitagwenda and Bunyangabu for the first phase.  Kyegegwa, Kyenjojo and Kasese will be in the second phase.

Resident District Commissioners (RDCs), who head security committees in districts, officers of Internal Security Organizations (ISO) and village chairpersons will lead the recruitment exercise.

LDUs were on the spot during the Covid19 lockdown after they faced accusations of highhandedness.

It should be remembered that suspected ADF rebels killed 10 people in Kamwenge last week, prompting President Yoweri Museveni to order deployment of LDUs.

“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,” said Museveni in his reaction to the Kamwenge attack.

“Since the terrorists 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.”

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