The Allied Democratic Forces, known as Forces Démocratiques Alliées (ADF), formed in 1996 from an alliance of several armed groups, mainly the National Army for the Liberation of Rwanda (Armée Nationale de Libération de l’Ouganda or NALU), opposed to the Ugandan government of President Yoweri Museveni and his marginalization of the Ugandan Muslim community.[1] The group felt it was sidelined by Museveni’s policies, and its leader, Jamil Mukulu, founded ADF for the purpose of establishing an Islamic state in accordance with sharia law in Uganda.[2] However, some scholars argue that the group’s ties to radical Islam are superficial, and this connection is emphasized in the context of larger regional and global conflicts to contain radical Islamist groups.[3] After its founding the group launched a six-year campaign of violence in Uganda, targeting Ugandan villages as well as the capital, until it was driven into eastern DRC by the Ugandan army in 2002.[4] ADF continued to attack Ugandan targets from its bases in eastern DRC.[5]

The Ugandan government has employed several different strategies to weaken ADF, including attempts at negotiation with ADF members, as well as offering to include them in Uganda’s amnesty program.[6] However, these initiatives have mostly failed. Due to ADF’s increased activity in DRC, the Congolese government has become more active in attempting to counter ADF. The government has put in place a disarmament program known as Safisha Ruwenzori, and has also launched military operations, such as Operation Ruwenzori in 2010 aimed at capturing ADF camps and cutting off the group’s supply lines.[7] ADF still remains a security risk for both DR Congo and Uganda, and both countries are actively cooperating with each other, as well as with regional partners, to reduce the threat posed by the group.[8] View full narrative