A Ugandan man facing terrorism-related charges has been accused of aiding a rebel group affiliated with Islamic State (IS), including recruiting fighters for the organisation, according to court documents reviewed by Reuters.
The Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), which started as an insurgency in Uganda, has operated out of Congo since the late 1990s and pledged allegiance to the Islamic State militant group in mid-2019.
The ADF has been accused of killing hundreds of villagers in numerous raids in eastern Congo over the years.
Extradited from Zambia last month, Swalleh Abubakar, 31, was charged in a magistrate’s court in the Ugandan capital late Monday with offences such as “terrorism financing” and “providing support to a terrorist organisation”.
Abubakar’s legal representation was not immediately identified. He was not allowed to enter a plea, as the case must be heard in a higher court where he can formally respond to the charges. Following the reading of the charges, he was remanded to prison.
According to prosecutors, Abubakar is accused of aiding and recruiting for the ADF, allegedly mobilising funds, acquiring digital watches and power banks, both directly and indirectly, between 2018 and April 2024, as stated in the charge sheet.
The charge sheet listed Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Tanzania, Zambia, and South Africa as locations where the alleged activities took place.
It also accused him of recruiting and transporting recruits to the Allied Democratic Forces in Eastern DRC.
Furthermore, he was alleged to have transferred the items he had acquired to the ADF, knowing they would be utilised to support or incite acts of terrorism.
Uganda has attributed to the ADF incidents like a triple suicide bombing in the capital in 2021, which claimed the lives of seven people, including the perpetrators.
In June last year, militants from the group fatally attacked a school in western Uganda near the border with the DRC, resulting in the deaths of 37 individuals.
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