2021 Uganda bombings

2021 Uganda bombings
Part of the Allied Democratic Forces insurgency
Location	Kampala (first and fourth attacks) Mpigi District (second attack) Nakaseke District (third attack)
Date	23 October 25 October 29 October 16 November
Target	Civilians, security forces
Attack type	Bombings, suicide bombings
Weapons	IED, Explosive belt
Deaths	10 (including four perpetrators)
Injured	39
Perpetrators	Islamic State – Central Africa Province (first and fourth attacks) Allied Democratic Forces (second attack)
Motive	Islamic extremism

From late October to mid November 2021, four bombing attacks occurred across Uganda.

Background

The Allied Democratic Forces is an Islamic extremist terrorist group, which originated in Uganda. The ADF however is based in the nearby Democratic Republic of the Congo, where the groups kills hundreds of civilians every year, mainly attacking villages. The most deadly attack in Uganda by the ADF was carried out on 8 June 1998, when they attacked the Uganda Technical College, Kichwamba in Kabarole District, killing 80 students and abducting about 100. In 1997 another major attack was carried out, when the group threw bombs into taxis and public buildings, killing more than 50 people were killed and wounding about 160 more.

On 11 July 2010, suicide bombings were carried out against crowds watching a screening of 2010 FIFA World Cup Final match during the World Cup at two locations in Kampala. The attacks killed 74 people and wounded 70 more. Al-Shabaab, a jihadist Somali terrorist group, claimed responsibility for the attacks as retaliation for Ugandan support for AMISOM.

After eleven years of relative calm, the ADF targeted Uganda in 2021 with the help of Islamic State-linked terrorists. On 1 June 2021, General Katumba Wamala was travelling in a vehicle when four gunmen appeared and opened fire, wounding Wamala and killing his driver and his daughter. A month later, authorities revealed that the attackers were Islamic extremists who were trained in a jihadist camp in North Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo, and had links with the Allied Democratic Forces and the Islamic State. On August 27, authorities arrested an ADF member for planning a suicide bombing attack at the funeral of a police commander, who was a major figure in the arrest of group's members. Between July and August, at least 25 civilians were killed in Lwengo and Masaka. The victims were killed in their houses and in the streets by knifemen during the night. While the motive behind the killings and the identities of the perpetrators is not confirmed so far, authorities suspected that ADF terrorist were behind the murders. On October 8, Islamic State militants bombed a police post in Kawempe; nobody was injured in the attack. It was the first time that the Islamic State claimed responsibility for an attack in Uganda. On 14 October 2021, the United Kingdom issued a warning of an imminent terrorist attack, calling on their nationals to be extremely vigilant about their security “especially in crowded and public places like hotels, transport hubs, restaurants and bars, and during major gatherings like sporting or religious events.” The Uganda Police Force issued a statement urging the public to keep calm as they "continue to review our security posture across the country which continues to be maintained as normal." The attacks are believed to be a retaliation for the recent round-up by the Ugandan police of people believed to have links with ISCAP. Uganda has also openly offered to help DRC fight the group and has maintained that all that is required is greenlight from Kinshasa to deploy to Beni.

Attacks

October

At 9pm on 23 October 2021, a bomb exploded in a bar in Komamboga, a suburb in Kawempe North, Kampala, killing a waitress and injuring three other people. Three men, pretending to be customers, brought the bomb into the restaurant in a polythene bag and left it under a table, leaving before it exploded. On 24 October, Islamic State claimed responsibility, saying they targeted the establishment because it is frequented by government employees.

At 5pm on 25 October 2021, a suicide bomber blew himself up on a bus in Lungala, Mpigi District, carrying 52 passengers. Three people were wounded in the attack. The bus was travelling between Masaka and Kampala. The attacker was the only one who died in the incident. A day later, authorities identified him as a member of the Allied Democratic Forces.

On 29 October 2021, two children were killed during a bomb explosion at a village in Nakaseke District. The device looked like an exotic “jackfruit” and was given to the children while they were playing. The victims were a 14-year-old and a second child with disabilities.

November

On 16 November 2021 at around 10:03 am local time, three suicide bombers rocked Kampala in a twin bomb attack within three minutes of each other. The first bomber blew himself up at checkpoint of the Central Police Station (CPS) just opposite Kooki Towers building along Buganda Road, killing two people and injuring several others, including police officers at the entrance of the police station. The explosion shuttered glass windows on the CPS building and the Kooki Tower building. Two other bombers then exploded at Jubilee House along Parliamentary Avenue about 100 meters from the entrance of the Parliament, killing another person and injuring many others. The people killed were two policemen and one civilian. Thirty-three more were injured, including five in critical conditions. More bombs have been found in other parts of the city. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attacks.

See also

• 2010 Kampala bombings
• Assassination attempt on Katumba Wamala