Key Facts
- Launch date
- November 2021
- Primary targets
- Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) and IS affiliates
- Theater
- Kivu and Ituri provinces, eastern DRC
- Status
- Ongoing
Strategic Narrative Overview
Ugandan and Congolese forces jointly advanced into ADF-held areas of North Kivu and Ituri, dismantling bases and disrupting supply lines. Operations significantly degraded ADF capacity and reduced the frequency of rebel attacks. At various points, government forces also engaged other non-ADF armed groups operating in the region, broadening the operational scope beyond the original mandate targeting IS-affiliated insurgents.
01 / The Origins
Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo has long suffered from armed insurgency, with the Allied Democratic Forces — a Ugandan rebel group with ties to the Islamic State — conducting deadly attacks on civilians in North Kivu and Ituri. Persistent ADF violence, including cross-border threats to Uganda, prompted Kampala and Kinshasa to agree on a joint military response, culminating in a formal bilateral operation launched in November 2021.
03 / The Outcome
As of the available reporting, the operation remains ongoing with no formal ceasefire or concluded outcome. ADF activity has been substantially reduced but not eliminated. The joint DRC-Uganda framework continues, though the broader security situation in eastern Congo remains volatile due to the presence of numerous other armed factions beyond the primary targets of Operation Shujaa.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
2 belligerents
Side B
2 belligerents