The ADF Insurgency (Uganda–DR Congo) is an active conflict in East Africa, involving ADF/ISCAP vs Uganda (UPDF) & DR Congo (FARDC). According to recent reporting, the ADF/ISCAP insurgency continues to pose a significant security threat across the Uganda–DR Congo border, with joint UPDF and FARDC operations ongoing under Operation Shujaa.
According to recent reporting, the ADF/ISCAP insurgency continues to pose a significant security threat across the Uganda–DR Congo border, with joint UPDF and FARDC operations ongoing under Operation Shujaa.
• Reuters and AP report that ADF/ISCAP operations remain active in North Kivu and Ituri provinces, with periodic mass-casualty civilian attacks documented • According to international monitoring, Operation Shujaa between UPDF and FARDC continues, though sources indicate mixed effectiveness in degrading militant operational capacity • AFP and regional sources report that recruitment and organizational capacity of ADF/ISCAP persist despite military pressure • UN and humanitarian organizations note ongoing displacement of civilian populations due to insurgent violence and military counter-operations
The Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a Ugandan-origin Islamist militant group that emerged in 1996, has shifted from seeking to overthrow the Kampala government to conducting mass-casualty attacks on civilians in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The group formally pledged allegiance to Islamic State in 2019, becoming ISIS Central Africa (ISCAP). Since 2021, Uganda and DR Congo have conducted joint military operations to counter the insurgency in the volatile Rwenzori region and North Kivu province.
• The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports thousands of civilians killed since the conflict's escalation, with estimates varying by source • ICRC and NGO reports indicate mass displacement across North Kivu, with civilian populations caught between militant attacks and military operations • Humanitarian access remains severely constrained in ADF-controlled areas, limiting aid delivery per UN agencies
News sources suggest the conflict trajectory remains uncertain, with military operations unable to decisively eliminate the insurgency despite joint regional efforts. Analysts cited in major outlets indicate the ADF/ISCAP may continue asymmetric operations unless underlying drivers of recruitment and territorial control are addressed.
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