Border Clashes on Lake Albert Highlight Fragile Uganda–DRC Security Cooperation

According to multiple Ugandan military sources cited by Africa Security Analysis, the initial attack stemmed from a misidentification: Congolese patrol boats were mistaken for militiamen of the FRPI (Patriotic Resistance Force of Ituri), who are active in this volatile region. The provisional toll reports several FARDC soldiers killed or wounded. Survivors, casualties’ bodies and equipment—including boats and weapons—were recovered and transferred into Ugandan custody by the Uganda Navy. Kinshasa has not yet issued an official statement, but diplomatic channels are reportedly open to seek explanations and arrange the repatriation of Congolese personnel.

On Tuesday 13 May at around 3:00 p.m., a mixed FARDC patrol—comprising naval troops, lake police and Albert Lake surveillance agents—came under fire near Rukwanzi on the Congolese side, allegedly by elements of the Uganda Navy. The sector commander for Bahema Sud, contacted by Africa Security Analysis, confirmed human losses and multiple injuries among Congolese forces. Witnesses in Kisenyi say the assailants then evacuated the wounded, the patrol boat and its armaments back into Ugandan territory.

That same evening, on 14 May, an UPDF (Uganda People’s Defence Forces) detachment conducting an anti-illegal-fishing operation on Lake Albert was ambushed. Corporal Edwin Chelimo, age 24 of Deyi Parish (Pakwach District), was captured and his service rifle—plus 120 rounds—along with the patrol boat and its engine were seized. The abductors then withdrew into Congolese waters. Local witnesses, again cited by Africa Security Analysis, suspect elements of the FARDC carried out this second strike.

The incident was formally recorded at Panyimur police post under reference SD 03/14/05/2025. Western Nile regional police spokesperson SP Collins Asea urged border communities to come forward with information to identify the perpetrators and locate Corporal Chelimo. Meanwhile, the UPDF has stepped up patrols along the Nile and the lakeshore frontier. To date, no claim of responsibility or formal negotiations have been announced.

These clashes occurred shortly after Uganda and the DRC signed a cross-border cooperation agreement in Mahagi (Ituri Province) on 5 May 2025. The pact—signed by General Taban Amin for Uganda and Colonel Disanoa Laula for the DRC—aims to curb transnational crime and protect legal trade across their porous border. Yet the surge in skirmishes and kidnappings—most recently the abduction of two Ugandan pilots in March 2025—underscores the challenges of translating diplomatic commitments into effective security operations.

Observers from Africa Security Analysis warn that certain Ituri-based militias, now allied with the AFC/M23 rebellion, may be preparing genuine reprisals against FARDC positions. A former Congolese officer accuses Uganda of playing a “double game”: Kampala allegedly seeks to control petroleum and mineral-rich zones (gold, coltan) in the ‘Greater North’ of Kivu around Lake Edward by covertly backing armed groups such as the ADF-Nalu. He claims that General Salim Saleh and Major General Muhoozi Museveni oversee this support to dominate local resource trade.

Beyond the immediate flashpoints, these events lay bare the fragility of Uganda–DRC security cooperation. Misunderstandings, local rivalries and competing economic interests continue to undermine peace and stability along this highly porous border.