Busia Muslim leaders warn on ADF recruitment

Muslim leaders in Busia District have warned that the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels have started the radicalisation and recruitment of unsuspecting youth into their ranks.

Sheikh Juma Jamal Obandyo, the Busia District Khadhi, while presiding over Eid prayers at Madibira playground in Busia town on Wednesday, told the faithful that it appears some elements under the cover of Islam have started recruiting youth under the guise of spreading religion.

“We are told some people in Busia have again started recruiting young men into ADF; as the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) we are not part of this because we believe in unity and peace,” he said.

He said as Muslims, the holy books are clear and emphasise peace, unity and disassociate the Islamic religion from criminal acts.

Sheikh Obandyo added: “You heard last year President Museveni talked about this mosque that it's involved in recruiting young men into ADF. We heard this morning some youths were been arrested while on their way to Congo to link up with the rebels. We hope this is not true.”

He advised the youth to be on the lookout for such characters and avoid falling prey to the recruiters, saying whereas those behind the evil are taking advantage of the unemployment, they are taking the young men into a trap where they will be killed.

This comes as security agencies at the Arua border on Tuesday intercepted two youths while on their way to the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Security sources at the Arua border confirmed the interception of two youths who are all residents of Busia town.

“Yes it is true the two youths who were arrested are all from Busia, and they were crossing to join the ADF camps in the Eastern DRC,” a source told the Monitor.

The source identified the suspects as Abdallah Sharif, 23, and Isma Kwasi, 23, both residents of Solo ‘A’ village, Eastern Division, Busia municipality.

According to the source, at the time of their arrest, the duo had reportedly been masquerading as hawkers who were taking a small consignment of phone accessories to the DRC.

The mother of one of the suspects said her son was praying from one of the mosques in Arubaine before he disappeared.

“When I heard that my son was praying from that mosque, I advised him to pray from another place but he did not heed my advice,” the mother, who declined to be named for security reasons, said.

She says she was “surprised” to receive a phone call on Wednesday morning that her son was among the people arrested while heading to the DRC to join the ADF rebel ranks.

The father of the other suspect, who also declined to be named for security reasons, said his son had disappeared from home nearly a month ago which prompted him to file a missing person’s report at the police station.

He said his son had used his national identity card to forge his own identity card and that is how security became suspicious and arrested him.

Busia District youth councillor, Mr Moses Kibedi said amidst the said recruitment, some people who had wrong motives were using some money to lure youth with promises of better jobs and good incomes.

“It appears these people are taking advantage of the vulnerable youth to lure them into acts of criminality which is too sad,” he said.

Barely a week ago, a security meeting chaired by the state minister for regional cooperation, Mr John Mulimba, blamed the escalation of violence in Busia District on suspected works of the ADF.

In the past three weeks, boda boda riders have been killed, a mobile money and banking agent shot dead, and at least three school dormitories have been burnt, leaving four pupils dead and property worth an unspecified amount of money destroyed.

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