Uganda’s top military official, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has issued a stark warning, threatening to launch an attack on the town of Bunia in eastern Congo unless “all forces” in the area surrender their arms within 24 hours.
The statement, made in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday, has heightened regional tensions.
Kainerugaba, who serves as the chief of Uganda’s defense forces and is widely considered the heir apparent to his father, President Yoweri Museveni, claimed he had the president’s authorization for the threat. However, a Ugandan military spokesperson declined to comment on the matter.
The general’s remarks come amid escalating violence in eastern Congo, where he alleged—without providing evidence—that the Bahima ethnic group was being targeted. “My people, the Bahima, are being attacked. No one on this earth can kill my people and think he will not suffer for it!” he posted.
In a separate message, he declared that Bunia would soon be under the control of the Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF).
This latest threat raises concerns about Uganda’s involvement in the ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where Congolese forces are engaged in clashes with the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels. The conflict has already seen the rebels take control of major cities, including Goma and, most recently, Bukavu.
Uganda has previously deployed over 1,000 additional soldiers to eastern Congo, officially as part of an operation against Islamist militants. However, U.N. experts have accused Uganda of also supporting the M23 rebel group, which Kainerugaba has referred to as “brothers of ours” in past statements.
Kainerugaba’s outspoken social media activity has sparked diplomatic tensions before. In 2022, he threatened to invade neighboring Kenya, and just last month, he suggested he wanted to behead Uganda’s main opposition leader, Bobi Wine—a remark for which he later apologized.
