The Ugandan army confirmed on Sunday that it has deployed troops to Mahagi town in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to combat local armed groups, raising concerns about a potential escalation of the ongoing conflict in the region.
Uganda’s defence and military affairs spokesman, Felix Kulayigye, told AFP that the deployment followed a request from the Congolese army, which sought assistance in countering attacks by the Cooperative for the Development of Congo (Codeco), a notorious militia accused of committing massacres against civilians. Mahagi, located in Ituri province near the Ugandan border, has recently witnessed increased violence, with at least 51 people killed on February 10 in attacks attributed to Codeco fighters.
Codeco, an armed group claiming to defend the Lendu farming community against the Hema herding community, has been at the center of Ituri’s persistent ethnic and resource-driven conflicts. Despite ongoing military efforts, the militia continues to carry out deadly attacks in the region.
Uganda already maintains thousands of troops in various parts of Ituri under an agreement with the Congolese government. In January, Ugandan forces announced they had taken control of Bunia, the provincial capital of Ituri, further solidifying their military presence in the eastern DRC.
Ituri lies just north of North and South Kivu, where the M23 rebel group, reportedly backed by Rwanda, seized control earlier this year. The rapid territorial gains of M23 and the increasing involvement of regional military forces have heightened fears that the conflict could spiral into a broader war reminiscent of the Second Congo War (1998-2003), which involved multiple African nations and resulted in millions of deaths due to violence, disease, and famine.
Regional analysts warn that the growing influence of Uganda and Rwanda in eastern DRC could lead to a dangerous proxy war between the two neighboring nations, exacerbating an already dire humanitarian crisis. As tensions rise, diplomatic efforts will be critical in preventing a repeat of history’s devastating conflict in the Great Lakes region.
