A tragic incident unfolded in western Uganda as rebels associated with the Islamic State group (IS) attacked Lhubiriha secondary school in Mpondwe, claiming the lives of around 40 individuals, mostly pupils. The attack also resulted in the abduction of several students, primarily girls. Eight people remain in critical condition, and the authorities have warned that some details may be distressing.
The Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a rebel group based in the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), has been implicated in the attack. The assault occurred at approximately 23:30 local time on Friday, targeting the school located in the Kasese district. The school provides education and accommodation to over 60 students.
According to the Ugandan army, five suspected ADF rebels carried out the attack. They set fire to the school buildings, looted the food store, and unleashed a wave of violence. Maj Gen Dick Olum reported that some boys were burned or hacked to death during the assault, though the ages of the victims are not yet known. Some bodies were severely burned, necessitating DNA tests for identification.
The attackers not only torched the students’ mattresses but also detonated bombs in the region. Distressing photos of burning buildings circulated on social media platforms, underscoring the severity of the attack. The exact number of casualties remains unclear, and authorities are still searching for missing students.
Bwera Hospital received many of the bodies, and the Ugandan army has deployed helicopters to track the ADF insurgents, who are believed to have fled toward the Virunga National Park in the DRC. Uganda and the DRC have previously conducted joint military operations to counter ADF attacks in the eastern part of the DRC.
Last week, suspected ADF fighters launched an attack near the Ugandan border in the DRC, leading over 100 villagers to seek refuge in Uganda before returning. The assault on the school, located in close proximity to the DRC border, marks the first attack on a Ugandan school in 25 years. In 1998, an ADF attack on Kichwamba Technical Institute resulted in the deaths of 80 students, with over 100 students being abducted.
The ADF was originally formed in eastern Uganda in the 1990s, opposing President Yoweri Museveni and alleging persecution of Muslims by the government. Following their defeat by the Ugandan army in 2001, the ADF relocated to North Kivu province in the DRC. The group’s leader, Jamil Makulu, was arrested in Tanzania in 2015 and remains in custody in Uganda. Musa Seka Baluku succeeded him and reportedly pledged allegiance to ISIS in 2016. It wasn’t until April 2019 that ISIS acknowledged its presence in the area.
Although ISIS has largely been weakened as a group, various ISIS-affiliated militant groups continue to operate across the Middle East and Africa. The ADF, operating from inside the DRC, has been responsible for numerous attacks over the past two decades. In late 2021, the ADF was blamed for a series of assaults, including suicide bombings in Uganda’s capital, Kampala.
The recent attack on the school highlights the ongoing threat posed by extremist groups and the challenges faced by Uganda in countering these acts of violence.