The United States embassy in Uganda has released a travel advisory urging American citizens to reconsider their travel plans to the country due to concerns over crime and terrorism.
The embassy specifically warns of potential terror attacks in Uganda and the surrounding region, following recent police and military counter-terrorism operations that led to the discovery of explosive devices in various locations within the capital city, Kampala.
Ugandan authorities have taken swift action in response to these suspected terror threats, resulting in the arrest of six individuals. The US embassy has advised its citizens in Uganda to remain vigilant and avoid large public gatherings.
A joint security team, comprising both police and military personnel, apprehended a 28-year-old individual and successfully recovered an explosive device. Their intervention thwarted a suspected suicide bombing plot targeting a church in Kampala. Since then, additional improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and materials for making bombs have been discovered in different parts of the city.
Uganda Police spokesperson, LTT Fred Enanga, commented on the nature of the threat, stating, “For now, the threat is about these terrorists with IEDs entering premises, facilities, and locations, placing their IEDs, and then eventually discharging or detonating them from a safe point using a remote control.”
Authorities are actively investigating potential connections between the suspects and terrorist organizations. The Directorate of Military Intelligence believes that the recent threats may be linked to the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a Ugandan rebel group associated with the terrorist organization ISIS. The ADF is known to operate from bases located in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
This travel advisory comes in the wake of an attack by ADF rebels in June, during which 41 students were tragically killed at a school in Western Uganda.
