KAMPALA – Ugandan security forces have announced the death of a “traditional herbalist” who led a coordinated attack on police and military bases over the weekend in the country’s western region.
The insurgent leader, identified as Christian Asuman Muganzi, was killed along with over 20 of his fighters in a security operation on Tuesday. The attack, which began on Saturday, targeted three remote districts—Bundibugyo, Kasese, and Fort Portal—along the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
According to army reports, the assailants used submachine guns and machetes to assault security posts, resulting in the deaths of at least one civilian and one soldier. An army official stated the group’s goal was to “acquire weapons to start a tribal militia” but were pushed back by security forces.
Albert Kaliruga, the deputy head of security for the region, confirmed that Muganzi was cornered at his hideout in Kakuka, Bundibugyo. “He was using his shrine at Kakuka to indoctrinate and recruit people to join his criminal group,” Kaliruga told AFP.
Authorities reported recovering traditional herbs, fetishes, and other items from his shrine, which he allegedly used to indoctrinate recruits and promise them protection in battle.
The incident highlights the persistent security challenges along Uganda’s western border with the DRC, a lawless region home to multiple armed groups, including an affiliate of the Islamic State. The event has drawn comparisons to the long-running insurgency of Joseph Kony in the 1990s and 2000s.
Fifteen other suspects were arrested in the operation, as security forces continue to stabilize the region.
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Disclaimer: This article is based on reports from Ugandan authorities and international news agencies. CDA News provides this information as a developing international security story. The characterization of the individual and the group is based on official statements from the Ugandan security forces.
