United States (US) President Donald Trump has ordered the Ugandan military to immediately stop its operation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Uganda’s Military Chief, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, made the announcement on Thursday, April 10.
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Further, he revealed that the order to suspend the mission came directly from President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni of Uganda, in consultation with Trump, who is described as a personal “hero” by the leader.
Ugandan forces had been advancing toward capturing the city of Kisangani in the DRC.
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“Under the orders of my great father, President Kaguta Museveni and my hero, President Donald Trump, I have decided to suspend our operation to capture Kisangani. It is extremely painful for me. I have never not achieved a military objective in my life,” he stated.
Also Read: DRC Massacre as Museveni’s Son Starts Executing Suspected Witchdoctors
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Muhoozi Threats to DRC
Earlier on march 23, Muhoozi announced that the Ugandan army or the Rwandan backed M23 would be in the city in “one week.”
The Congolese armed group, M23, had already seized control of large swathes of eastern DR Congo, but it had not stated its intent to advance on Kisangani.
“Our people of Kisangani, we are coming to rescue you. God’s Army is coming! In one week either M23 or UPDF (Uganda People’s Defence Force) will be in Kisangani. By order of Yoweri Museveni, Commander-in-Chief of UPDF!” announced Muhoozi.
Kisangani serves as a commercial center and a key transit junction where three rivers converge, forming a key route from the east to the capital, Kinshasa.
On the other hand, General Muhoozi announced on March 31 that he had began executing witchdoctors in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
According to him, the ‘witchdoctor’ was a member of the Cooperative for the Development of the Congo (CODECO) which is an armed militia group operating in the Ituri province of the DRC.
“God ordered me to protect my entire tribe, the Bachwezi! Wherever on earth they are. In the DRC, they are everywhere. Sometimes they call us Baganda, other times Banyoro, other times Acholi. We shall also arrest all those who committed massacres against our people,” he said.
Also Read: Ruto and Trump Top Diplomat Speak Again After Kenya’s DRC Evacuation Advisory
Trump Officials and Ruto Discuss issues in DRC
On Friday, February 21, 2025, President William Ruto and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio held their third phone conversation since President Donald Trump was sworn into office.
Itate Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce stated that the two leaders discussed the ongoing conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Bruce noted that both Ruto and Rubio had emphasized that the conflict could not be resolved through military means and had called for an immediate ceasefire.
Further, they reaffirmed their commitment to pursuing a diplomatic solution to the crisis. The conversation followed Kenya’s issuance of a travel advisory to its citizens in the DRC due to the rising tensions in the region.
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