Al-Qaeda Linked Group Massacres Hundreds in Congo
A series of massacres in the DRC has left 300 dead since October 2014. Seven bodies, all killed with machetes and axes, were found on May 10th, 2015. The rebel group Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) has reportedly committed these crimes. In the period of 1998-2000, ADF jihadists slaughtered 1000 people in Uganda.
The Congolese army has been fighting back against ADF, but they have been unable to prevent these massacres, which take place in the dead of night. Sheik Jamil Mukulu, who was arrested in Tanzania in April, headed the ADF. Both Uganda and Congo want to extradite Mukulu because crimes were committed in both countries, but a Tanzanian minister said that he should be extradited to Congo because the worst crimes had occurred there.
ADF is a group of jihadists whose initial goal when they became operational in the 1990’s was to overthrow the Ugandan government and establish Shariah law. Since that time, they have clearly spread to the DRC and begun kidnapping individuals, torturing them, forcing them to convert to Islam, and ultimately murdering them.
In addition to raising funds through illegal mining and logging, ADF has received funding from Hassan al-Turabi, a Sudanese politician and other foreign actors. Recently there have been reports that ADF has improved their fighting ability and even has anti-aircraft weapons.
While a U.N report released in January stated that ADF has no ties to other terror organizations, there is significant information proving otherwise. Fred Opolot, the spokesman for Foreign Affairs ministry in Uganda, objected to the U.N.’s claims stating:
“I do trust the security of Uganda and they have an impeccable record. To contradict people who are on the ground is a misinterpretation. It isn’t true that ADF isn’t linked to foreign terrorists.”
Mr. Opolot went on to express concern that the report is biased by the U.N.’s personal agenda and doubted that they ever had personnel on the ground.
If the Foreign Affairs ministry’s words aren’t enough, let’s take a look at Jamil Mukulu’s history and relations with al-Qaeda leadership:
- 1989 – Sheik Mukulu founded ADF
- 1990’s – Mukulu spent the early years of the decade in Khartoum, Sudan. During this time, Mukulu contacted and became close to Osama Bin Laden and Hassan al-Turabi
- 1993 –The 2nd Popular Arab and Islamic Conference (PAIC) took place in Khartoum. Sheik Mukulu attended this conference along with Bin Laden and other known terrorists linked ot al-Qaeda.
- 1995- ADF became operational and started launching attacks in western Uganda.
Al-Shabaab, which has pledged allegiance to al-Qaeda, bombed two locations in Uganda while civilians were watching the World Cup in 2010. Both al-Shabaab and ADF oppose the Ugandan government. As a result of these attakcs, the official suspected a link between ADF and al-Shabaab.
In recent years, ADF has become better equipped to fight back against resistance and continues to launch increased attacks. The ADF is not an independent group working on its own agenda. Given its links to other terrorist organizations, ADF’s actions should be viewed as attempts to expand global jihad and enforce Sharia law on behalf of al-Qaeda.
