From late October to mid November 2021, the

Islamic State The Islamic State (IS), also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and Daesh, is a transnational Salafi jihadism, Salafi jihadist organization and unrecognized quasi-state. IS ...

organization carried out four bombing attacks across

Uganda Uganda, officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the ...

Background

The Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) is an

Islamic extremist Islamic extremism refers to extremist beliefs, behaviors and ideologies adhered to by some Muslims within Islam. The term 'Islamic extremism' is contentious, encompassing a spectrum of definitions, ranging from academic interpretations of Is ...

terrorist Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of violence against non-combatants to achieve political or ideological aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violence during peacetime or in the context of war aga ...

group originated in Uganda but is based in the nearby

Democratic Republic of the Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), also known as the DR Congo, Congo-Kinshasa, or simply the Congo (the last ambiguously also referring to the neighbouring Republic of the Congo), is a country in Central Africa. By land area, it is t ...

. The group's insurgency began in 1996; it kills hundreds of civilians every year, mainly by attacking villages. The most deadly ADF attack in Uganda was on 8 June 1998, when the group attacked the Uganda Technical College, Kichwamba in

Kabarole District Kabarole District is a Districts of Uganda, district in Western Region, Uganda, Western Uganda. Kabarole District is part of the Tooro Kingdom. Its main town was Fort Portal before 1 July 2020 when it was elevated to a city, separating it from Ka ...

, 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 and wounding about 160 others.Terrorism Profile - Uganda
rivacy International On 11 July 2010,

suicide bombings A suicide attack (also known by a wide variety of other names, see below) is a deliberate attack in which the perpetrators knowingly sacrifice their own lives as part of the attack. These attacks are a form of murder–suicide that is ofte ...

were carried out against crowds watching a screening of 2010 FIFA World Cup Final match during the

World Cup A world cup is a global sporting competition in which the participant entities – usually international teams or individuals representing their countries – compete for the title of world champion. The event most associated with the name is ...

at two locations in

Kampala Kampala (, ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Uganda. The city proper has a population of 1,875,834 (2024) and is divided into the five political divisions of Kampala Central Division, Kampala, Kawempe Division, Kawempe, Makindy ...

. The attacks killed 74 people and wounded 70 more. Al-Shabaab, a

jihadist Jihadism is a neologism for modern, armed militant Political aspects of Islam, Islamic movements that seek to Islamic state, establish states based on Islamic principles. In a narrower sense, it refers to the belief that armed confrontation ...

Somali terrorist group, claimed responsibility for the attacks as retaliation for Ugandan support for

AMISOM The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) was a Multinational force formed by the African Union. The operation deployed to Somalia soon after the Islamic Courts Union was deposed by troops from Ethiopia during War in Somalia (2006–2009), ...

Attacks in 2021

After 11 years of relative calm, the ADF targeted Uganda in 2021 with the help of Islamic State-linked terrorists. On 1 June, General

Katumba Wamala Edward Katumba Wamala (born 19 November 1956), commonly known as Katumba Wamala, is a Ugandan military officer and politician who serves as Minister of Works and Transport in the Ugandan cabinet, since 14 December 2019. Prior to his current ...

was travelling in a vehicle when four gunmen appeared and opened fire, wounding Wamala and killing his driver and his daughter. A month later, the authorities revealed that the attackers were Islamic extremists who were trained in a jihadist camp in

North Kivu North Kivu () is a Provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, province bordering Lake Kivu in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. The capital city is Goma. Spanning approximately 59,483 square kilometers with a population esti ...

, Congo, and had links with the ADF and the Islamic State. On 27 August, the 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 Lwengo is a town in Central Uganda. It is the chief municipal, administrative and commercial center of Lwengo District. It was known as Mbiriizi, prior to 1 July 2010. Location Lwengo is located approximately , by road, west of Masaka, the large ...

and

Masaka Masaka is a city in the Central Region, Uganda, Buganda Region in Uganda, west of Lake Victoria. The city is the headquarters of Masaka District. Location Masaka is approximately to the south-west of Kampala on the highway to Mbarara. The ...

. 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 terrorists were behind the murders.

October

On 8 October, Islamic State militants bombed a police post in

Kawempe Kawempe is an area in the city of Kampala, Uganda's capital. It is also the location of the headquarters of Kawempe Division, one of the five administrative divisions of Kampala. Location Kawempe is located on the northwestern edge of Kampala. ...

. 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, 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 against persons believed to have links with

Islamic State – Central Africa Province The Islamic State – Central Africa Province (abbreviated IS-CAP, also known as Central Africa Wilayah and Wilayat Wasat Ifriqiya) is an Territory of the Islamic State, administrative division of the Islamic State (IS), a Salafi jihadism, Salafi ...

(IS-CAP). Uganda has also openly offered to help Congo fight the group and has maintained that all that is required is greenlight from

Kinshasa Kinshasa (; ; ), formerly named Léopoldville from 1881–1966 (), is the Capital city, capital and Cities of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Kinshasa is one of the world's fastest-grow ...

to deploy to Beni. At 9 p.m. on 23 October, a bomb exploded in a bar in Komamboga, a suburb in

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, the Islamic State claimed responsibility, saying they targeted the establishment because it is frequented by government employees. At 5 p.m. on 25 October, a suicide bomber blew himself up on a bus in Lungala,

Mpigi District Mpigi District is a district in Central Uganda. Like most other Ugandan districts, it is named after its 'main town', Mpigi. Location Mpigi District is bordered by Wakiso District to the north and east, Kalangala District to the south, Kalungu ...

, carrying 52 passengers. Three people were wounded in the attack. The bus was travelling between

and Kampala. The attacker was the only one who died in the incident. A day later, authorities identified him as a member of the ADF. On 29 October, two children were killed during a bomb explosion at a village in

Nakaseke District Nakaseke District is a Districts of Uganda, district in Central Region, Uganda, Central Uganda. It is named after Nakaseke, the largest town in the district. However, the district headquarters are located at Butalangu. Location Nakaseke District ...

. The device looked like an exotic "

jackfruit The jackfruit or ''nangka'' (''Artocarpus heterophyllus'') is a species of tree in the Common fig, fig, mulberry, and breadfruit family (Moraceae). The jackfruit is the largest tree fruit, reaching as much as in weight, in length, and in d ...

" and was given to the children while they were playing. The victims were a 14-year-old and a disabled child.

November

On 16 November, at around 10:03 a.m., three suicide bombers attacked two targets in Kampala 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 shattered 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 In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...

, killing two more people and injuring many others. The people killed were three civilians and one policeman. 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. Security forces killed seven suspects and arrested 106 more in connection to the attack days later.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Uganda bombings, 2021 2021 crimes in Uganda 2021 murders in Africa 2021 building bombings 21st century in Kampala Allied Democratic Forces Attacks on legislatures Attacks on police stations in 2021 Attacks on restaurants in Uganda Building bombings in Uganda Bus bombings in Africa Child murder in Africa Crime in Kampala ISIL terrorist incidents in Uganda Islamic terrorist incidents in 2021 November 2021 crimes in Africa October 2021 crimes in Africa 2021 disasters in Uganda Suicide bombings in 2021 Suicide bombings in Uganda Terrorist incidents in Africa in 2021 Terrorist incidents in Uganda in the 2020s Attacks in Africa in 2021 2020s murders in Uganda Attacks on police stations in Africa Mass murder in 2021 21st-century mass murder in Uganda Restaurant bombings in Africa

Background

Attacks in 2021

October

November

See also

References