How Uganda finances terror in DRC

When Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni met his Democratic Republic of Congo counterpart Felix Tshisekedi in mid-June to commission a road project at the Mpondwe-Kasindi border, people from both countries were excited. They praised the project as they anticipated positive socio-economic transformation of their livelihoods.

But those who know the treacherous ways of Museveni were suspicious. They wondered why Ugandans would be interested in funding a road project in DRC when roads inside Uganda are in a sorry state. 

It now emerges that Uganda is carrying out illicit Cocoa trade in DRC and the money is used to finance activities of terrorist militia groups operating there. This could be the reason, analysts believe, behind Museveni’s interest in building roads in the DRC rather than facilitating formal trade that can benefit both countries.

There are two companies operating crossborder cocoa trade - ESCO-Kivu and ESCO-Uganda. These two companies are believed to be working closely with the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a terrorist group of Ugandan origin that has - according to the US State Department - pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (IS).

In March, the US placed this Ugandan terrorist group, which has been active in the DRC since the mid-1990s, on the list of terrorist groups affiliated with IS. The US government blames ISIS-DRC or ADF/Madina at Tauheed Wau Mujahedeen for numerous attacks in the provinces of North Kivu and Ituri, in eastern DRC.

The ADF/MTM, which is led by Seka Musa Baluku, is mainly wreaking havoc  in Rwenzori, one of the sectors of Beni territory, in DRC's North Kivu Province, killing more than 800 civilians in 2020 alone, according to the UN.

Meanwhile, the owners of the Ugandan company are being linked to Museveni’s family, especially his young brother, Gen Salim Saleh.

Information available indicates that the ADF terror group always attacks residents in Rwenzori during the Cocoa harvesting season so that when people run away for their safety, ADF takes advantage and harvests the Cocoa beans and then ESCO trucks transport the harvest to Uganda for sale.

The trucks use the Nobili border in the chefferie de Wataringa of Beni. A source established the number plates of 14 trucks used in this transport:  UAJ661R, UAD721Q, UAK878A, UAD749Q, UAJ653R, UAD727Q, UAH928U, UDE946L, UAJ660R, UAD719Q, SSD252H, UAQ826C, T403CSU, UBE440Z.

These trucks cross the DRC-Uganda border without any declaration documents, according to the source, "an indication that the business is conducted by high level security agents in Uganda's CMI and Ugandan immigration."

After selling the Cocoa, it has been established, money is transferred to finance ADF/MTM terror group's activities in Beni through two commercial banks - Equity/BCDC located in Kasese, Uganda and  Rwabank in Beni, DRC.

Cocoa business is used as a cover for ESCO-Uganda to transfer money to ESCO-Kivu but the money ends up in the hands of the ADF. It has been established that between 2017 to 2020, $25 million was transacted in the mentioned banks in the name of “buying Cocoa” from farmers, when in actual fact there was no single farmer or supplier of Cocoa on ground.

On April 29, the Congolese Judiciary accused ESCO-Kivu of financing cross-border terrorism, by involving in illicit activities on the Nobili border. "It is believed that high level officials from DRC and Uganda are behind this terror financing business. The terrorism in Beni is caused by ADF/MTM which gets financial support from Uganda with the backing of Museveni’s inner circle which is involved in illegal trade in DRC.

Museveni sponsoring and supporting terrorism activities in the Great Lakes Region rather than supporting peace, stability and regional integration.

The Rwanda National Congress (RNC), a terror group led by fugitive Kayumba Nyamwasa, is known to be working closely with Museveni’s security agencies to recruit and plot terror attacks on Rwanda.