Are commercial interests driving Uganda’s military operations in DR Congo?

Kampala, Uganda – It was June 5 erstwhile Ugandan soldiers arrived successful Kasenyi, a municipality connected the shores of Lake Albert successful Ituri state successful eastbound Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Uganda’s service chief, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, posted a video connected X showing what helium said were residents “enthusiastically” welcoming the soldiers, arsenic Chris Magezi, an adjutant to Kainerugaba and astatine the clip acting spokesperson for Uganda’s People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) said the service had “occupied” it unneurotic with different Congolese town, Tchomia.

When Kampala archetypal deployed troops to eastbound DRC successful November 2021, they were successful pursuit of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a rebel radical with Ugandan roots whose strongholds were located successful Beni territory, successful DRC’s North Kivu province. The radical initially fought against the Ugandan authorities successful pursuit of authorities change, but from the 2010s onwards, it began aligning itself with the Islamic State Central Africa Province. In Uganda, the authorities accused the ADF of being down respective high-profile assassinations, portion some countries blamed it for massacring civilians.

In 2021, during that archetypal associated subject cognition betwixt the Ugandan and Congolese armies, towns similar Kasenyi remained unaffected.

But today, the Ugandan army’s footprint has expanded good beyond its archetypal ngo and into Ituri, by its ain admission. This is contempt the information that the ADF, which has since dispersed and relocated acold from its accepted bases, is not progressive successful Kasenyi oregon different areas wherever the subject has precocious been operating, observers note.

In a connection successful February, General Kainerugaba declared that Uganda would unafraid the full borderline it shares with DRC: “That is our sphere of influence. Nothing volition hap determination without our permission,” helium said connected X.

On societal media, Kainerugaba has often inserted himself into conversations astir interior conflicts and the determination dynamics of the Congolese crisis.

He has openly expressed enactment for the M23 rebel radical that has made accelerated advancements successful eastbound DRC this year, seizing power of the superior cities of some North and South Kivu provinces.

M23 is reportedly backed by Rwanda and Uganda, according to assorted United Nations reports, though some countries person denied these allegations.

A Ugandan worker patrols successful Kasese, occidental Uganda bordering the DRC [File: James Akena/Reuters]

Economic interests

The enlargement of the Ugandan army’s country of cognition reflects Kampala’s shifting priorities successful eastbound DRC, according to service spokesperson Felix Kulayigye. He said the service is protecting Congolese communities arsenic good arsenic Uganda’s economical interests successful the neighbouring country.

“Who is consuming Uganda’s products? Can commerce instrumentality spot wherever determination is instability? If we person commercialized interests successful eastbound DRC, are those protectable oregon not?” Kulayigye told Al Jazeera.

From the start, Uganda’s subject beingness successful DRC has carried an economical subtext.

According to a 2023 study by Deutsche Welle, arsenic portion of the agreement with the Kinshasa authorities to combat the ADF, Uganda was granted support to physique tarmac roads connecting cardinal towns successful DRC – routes designed to boost the question of goods and deepen Uganda’s commercialized footprint successful the region.

Although the substance of the statement was not released to the public, Ugandan soldiers, subject instrumentality and roadworthy operation instrumentality entered each entered DRC successful November 2021.

Solomon Asiimwe, an planetary relations lecturer astatine Nkumba University successful Kampala, says though Uganda’s pursuit of the ADF whitethorn person appeared to beryllium security-driven, the overriding origin was economic, though this was “hidden nether the carpet”.

While immoderate Congolese whitethorn beryllium angered by Uganda’s expanded deployment, helium suggests they should besides see the payment of a dependable proviso of goods from Uganda. “Even Congolese person interests successful supplying minerals to Uganda; they payment from infrastructure and peace,” helium said.

Eastern DRC’s marketplace has go a battleground of its own. A caller investigation by The East African valued determination exports to the DRC astatine $2.9bn implicit astir 3 years, with Uganda commanding a 68 percent share. Kenyan fiscal institutions person besides staked their claim, entering DRC done slope acquisitions and the marketplace was highly profitable – until M23’s beforehand this twelvemonth halted their expansion.

But this commercialized has a acheronian side. Over the years, analysts and UN reports person accused some Uganda and Rwanda of acting arsenic conduits for smuggled Congolese minerals and cultivation products specified arsenic cocoa and coffee. The International Court of Justice successful 2022 ordered Uganda to wage the DRC $325m successful reparations for the amerciable exploitation of earthy resources during its subject beingness successful eastbound DRC betwixt 1998 and 2003; Kampala has paid respective instalments since.

Analysts reason that mineral exploitation is disposable successful export information of these countries: for instance, Uganda’s gold exports reached $3bn successful 2024, contempt the state lacking immoderate important large-scale golden deposits.

Democratic Republic of the Congo subject unit patrol against Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) and National Army for the Liberation of Uganda (NALU) rebels adjacent Beni successful North Kivu province, successful 2013 [File: Kenny Katombe/Reuters]

‘Violation of Congolese sovereignty’

Ugandan service spokesperson Kulayigye said his country’s expanded deployment successful Ituri was requested by Congolese authorities seeking assistance successful warring different equipped groups destabilising the province.

“We had an further ngo astatine the petition of Congolese authorities to woody with antagonistic elements wrong Ituri,” helium said.

Al Jazeera reached retired to Congolese authorities spokesperson Patrick Muyaya to respond to this claim, but helium did not reply to our questions astatine the clip of publication.

Meanwhile, Congolese experts were sceptical, questioning some the legality and legitimacy of Uganda’s expanded mission.

“Uganda doesn’t person an statement with the Congolese service to beryllium successful immoderate parts of Ituri,” said Reagan Miviri, a struggle researcher astatine Ebuteli, a Kinshasa-based deliberation tank. “They entered Congolese ungraded without permission. This is simply a usurpation of Congolese sovereignty.”

According to Miviri, Kinshasa has been soundless connected Uganda’s expanded operation, not due to the fact that of support but due to the fact that it doesn’t privation to person to face some Uganda and Rwanda astatine the aforesaid time.

But helium admits that successful galore areas wherever Uganda has deployed, it has much beingness than the Congolese army.

Kambale Musavuli, a Congolese governmental analyst, calls Uganda’s increasing subject beingness an concern – 1 that “should alarm each Congolese and African who believes successful sovereignty and territorial integrity”.

In effect to disapproval from analysts, Kulayigye said helium was “disappointed by intellectuals” who beryllium successful comfortableness talking astir nothing, portion connected the ground, “people are dying astatine the hands of militias”.

Reminders of Congo wars

For Congolese observers, Uganda’s behaviour follows a humanities script. From 1996 to 2003, Uganda and Rwanda intervened heavy successful DRC, initially backing the rebel radical that overthrew longtime dictator Mobutu Sese Seko and installed Laurent Kabila – lone to aboriginal crook against him. Both countries subsequently supported assorted rebel factions attempting to oust Kabila.

Though planetary unit forced Uganda and Rwanda to formally retreat astatine the opening of the century, some nations maintained ties to rebel groups, including M23, which was calved retired of the unresolved issues of the 1990s Congo wars.

In January and February this year, M23 captured cardinal cities including Goma and Bukavu successful eastbound DRC, which they inactive hold. The UN accused Rwanda of deploying up to 4,000 Rwandan soldiers successful the DRC, which helped rebels seizure the cities, portion Uganda has been accused of allowing M23 to get supplies and recruits done its territory.

“It’s a continuation of a signifier we person seen for decades, wherever neighbouring countries exploit instability successful eastbound Congo to prosecute subject and economical interests nether the guise of information operations,” said Musavuli.

In the aftermath of the Congo wars, respective reports emerged, including from the UN, that Rwanda and Uganda were targeting Hutu civilians and looting and smuggling resources similar coffee, diamonds, timber and coltan from the DRC.

Josaphat Musamba, a Congolese researcher astatine Ghent University successful Belgium, sees nonstop links betwixt today’s conflicts and the wars of the 1990s successful a formed of characters that remains strikingly familiar: Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni, Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame and erstwhile Congolese President Joseph Kabila – who is present based successful Goma, an country nether M23 power – were cardinal players successful those earlier conflicts.

“If you look astatine [today’s M23] commanders, you tin link them to those who were warring successful the First Congo War,” Musamba said. “All of them were moving with Rwandan officers similar James Kabarebe. I cognize 2 oregon 3 commanders of M23, and 1 of them was portion of James Kabarebe’s bodyguard,” helium claimed.

Kabarebe, present Rwanda’s authorities curate for determination integration, was a cardinal fig successful the rebellion that toppled Mobutu. He aboriginal served arsenic service main of unit nether Laurent Kabila, the erstwhile Congolese person and begetter of Joseph Kabila. Kabarebe was sanctioned by the US authorities for being “central to Rwanda’s enactment for the March 23 [M23]”.

Researchers besides enactment that aft M23’s archetypal rebellion successful the DRC failed successful 2012-2013, galore rebels fled crossed the borders to Rwanda and Uganda.

Congolese researchers accidental that portion Kampala and Kigali whitethorn assertion to beryllium addressing information threats and rebel groups successful eastbound DRC – similar ADF and the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), whose remnants were linked to the 1994 genocide successful Rwanda – they are efficaciously carving retired zones of power and economical exploitation successful eastbound DRC, conscionable arsenic they did successful the 1990s.

The Congolese people, meanwhile, stay displaced, impoverished and without security. The UN said successful April that renewed warring with M23 this twelvemonth had displaced nearly 4 million radical successful North and South Kivu alone.

“I don’t judge that Uganda [soldiers] person bully intentions, particularly successful the cognition successful Ituri,” said Miviri. “I don’t recognize wherefore they are there.”