As the death toll reaches 42 from the attack on Lhubiriha Secondary School in Uganada, state police announce arrests of 20 suspected collaborators with the Allied Democratic Forces who are believed to have been behind the attack.
Ugandan police announced that 20 individuals have been apprehended for suspected collaboration with the notorious militia responsible for the devastating rampage at Lhubiriha Secondary School. During the attack, which claimed multiple lives, militants from the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) unleashed a wave of violence that involved burning, stabbing, and shooting the victims.
Speaking at a press conference, police spokesman Fred Enanga confirmed the arrests, stating, “Twenty arrests have been made of suspected ADF collaborators.” The ADF, referring to the Allied Democratic Forces, operates primarily in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
While the army attributes the attack to Islamic State-linked militants, investigators are exploring alternative motives. The ADF, originally formed in the 1990s in opposition to President Yoweri Museveni, accuses the government of mistreating Muslims. Although it is now associated with the IS group, the ADF has not claimed responsibility for this particular assault, despite having conducted past attacks in Uganda.
Describing the assault as “barbaric” and “crimes against humanity,” Fred Enanga, condemned the targeting of innocent children. He emphasized the nation’s unwavering resolve in the fight against terrorism, stating, “No matter how heinous the attack or how brutal or inhumane the methods used, the ADF will not be able to succeed in demolishing the solidarity of Ugandans in the fight against terrorism and extremism.”