General Paul Kagame must be watching two recent developments in the neighbourhood with considerable alarm. First, on December 5, 2021, Uganda launched a road-building project in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) aimed at boosting trade between the two countries. The project will see 223 km of roads built, connecting Uganda to the eastern DR Congo cities of Beni, Goma and Butembo.
Better access to trade with DR Congo will no doubt help Uganda make up for the lost trade after Kagame shut down the common border with Uganda in 2019. Second, on November 30, 2021, the Ugandan military launched massive air and artillery raids against the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) armed group in eastern DRC in an operation agreed with Congolese government. “This morning, we have launched joint air and artillery strikes against ADF camps with our Congolese allies,” a spokesperson for the Uganda People’s Defence Force said in a Twitter post. Uganda says its military will stay in DR Congo as long as it takes to pacify the eastern region of that country. So far, Kagame who believes he owns DRC remains quiet about these developments – stay tuned.
By David Himbara
