The Ugandan army confirmed this Sunday the deployment of troops to Mahagi, in the northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, to combat local armed groups as the security situation continues to deteriorate.
“Our troops have arrived in Mahagi, and we have taken control of the situation,” said Felix Kulayigye, spokesperson for the Ministry of Defense and Military Affairs, to AFP.
This deployment follows a request from the Congolese army after the alleged massacres of civilians attributed to the Cooperative for the Development of the Congo (CODECO) militia, he specified, without providing further details.
Mahagi is located in the Ituri province, which borders Uganda. On February 10, 2025, armed men affiliated with CODECO killed at least 51 people, according to humanitarian and local sources.
CODECO presents itself as the defender of the interests of the Lendu community, which is mainly composed of farmers, against the Hema community, which is primarily composed of herders.
Uganda has already deployed thousands of soldiers to other areas of Ituri as part of an agreement with the Congolese government. Last month, Uganda announced that its troops had “taken control” of the provincial capital, Bunia.
Ituri is located just north of the North and South Kivu provinces, which, at the end of January, fell under the control of the M23 movement group, which opposes the government.
