In Uganda, Abdul Rashid Kyoto, an alleged commander in the Islamic State-linked Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) militia, faces charges of terrorism and other offenses related to the tragic killing of a UK and South African honeymoon couple and their Ugandan guide in a national park on October 17.
The accused, Mr. Kyoto, offered no comment during the reading of the charges. The victims, British citizen David Barlow, his South African wife Emmaretia Geyer, and Ugandan Eric Alyai, were shot dead during their wildlife visit to the Queen Elizabeth National Park, with their vehicle set ablaze.
The ADF, primarily active in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo, was held responsible for the attack, prompting intensified joint operations by Uganda and Congo. However, on Monday, the ADF was implicated in another incident, involving the killing of 19 people and the kidnapping of several individuals in the eastern DR Congo.
“According to the prosecution authority, two associates were fatally shot, while the rest managed to escape by boat with their weapons,” stated the prosecution.
The ADF has carried out multiple attacks in Uganda in recent years. In June, a faction of ADF fighters targeted a school in western Uganda, resulting in the tragic deaths of nearly 40 students.
Originating in western Uganda in the 1990s, the ADF emerged in response to alleged government persecution of Muslims. Official figures state that Muslims constitute nearly 14% of the Ugandan population, although the Ugandan Muslim Supreme Council suggests the number is closer to 35%.
Some members of Uganda’s Muslim community claim they encounter discrimination in various aspects of public life, including education and employment. Following their defeat by the Ugandan army in 2001, the ADF relocated to North Kivu province in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
