It’s a sad morning following the Police’s reports confirming 25 students who have been killed by the suspected Allied Democratic Front (ADF) rebels in Kasese district.
Police spokesperson, Fred Enanga has confirmed the attack which happened at Rubiriha Secondary School on Friday night as students were sleeping.
It’s alleged that out of the over 54 students who were in the dormitory, only four who survived with injuries from this attack.
The rebels are said to have abducted an unknown number of students as they retreated back into the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The attack has been confirmed by Kasese Resident District Commissioner Joel Walusimbi.
Enanga says police are on ground to ascertain the number of dead and missing students as well as how the attack occurred.
It is also reported that the attackers also set fire to the school van, broke into the school’s store and looted food supplies including posho, beans plus other items.
It’s alleged that an unknown number of students were abducted by the rebels as they retreated back to DRC.
This unfortunate event marks the second instance in less than a year where militants have launched attacks on Ugandan territory from the DRC. In December 2022, the Ugandan army successfully eliminated 11 ADF fighters who had crossed into Uganda from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The Ugandan army revealed that around 30 members of the rebel ADF infiltrated Uganda through Ntoroko, a western town situated along the Semliki River. The recent attack will undoubtedly bring back painful memories of the 1998 ADF assault on Kichwamba Technical Institute in Kabarole, where 80 students were tragically burnt to death, and over 100 were abducted.