By Lisa Nyambura
Uganda’s army announced it had killed 242 fighters from the Congolese rebel group CODECO after the militants allegedly attacked a Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) military post in Fataki, eastern DR Congo, earlier this week — a claim the rebels dispute.
According to UPDF spokesperson Chris Magezi, the clashes occurred on Wednesday and Thursday, with 31 rebels killed on the first day and 211 on the second.
One Ugandan soldier was killed, and four others were injured.
However, CODECO spokesperson Basa Zukpa Gerson rejected these figures, claiming the group lost only two fighters, while alleging Uganda’s losses were higher.
A United Nations source reported 70 rebels and 12 Ugandan fatalities.
Fighting reportedly continued on Saturday morning, with further skirmishes between the two sides.
CODECO says it fights to defend Lendu farmers against Hema herders, with land disputes and control of mineral resources fueling ongoing violence in Ituri.
Uganda deployed troops to Congo in 2021 to combat the ADF — a rebel group linked to ISIS.
The escalating violence underscores the region’s enduring instability, worsened by decades of conflict over land and minerals.
