Kasese school attack: Hopes of rescuing missing students fade

Hopes of finding students who were abducted by suspected ADF rebels in the attack on a school in Kasese District three months ago continue to fade after the army said their rescue efforts are yet to bear fruit.

According to Maj Gen Dick Olum, the commander of Operation Shujaa in eastern DR Congo, the five students, whom they believe were kidnapped from Mpondwe-Lhubiriha Secondary School during the June 16 attack, could have been killed.

Maj Gen Olum said the body of one female student was recovered.

“It is unfortunate that since the incident, we have only recovered the body of a young girl who had been killed and buried in DR Congo. We suspect that about five other students were also abducted, although we have failed to trace whether they have been killed or if they are still alive. However, they have likely been killed,” he said.

The operation commander was speaking on September 15 at a press conference in Lhubiriha, Democratic Republic of Congo.

The recovered body was of Amina Rashid Biira, 17, and it was handed over to her parents after DNA testing.

In the attack, 37 students (17 boys and 20 girls), a school security guard, and five others from the neighbouring community were killed.

Some of the missing children include Surprise Yunasi, Juliet Biira Asiimwe and Rogers Muhindo and their parents want the government to continue searching for them.

The last batch of four male students, out of the 17 who were burnt beyond recognition and remained unclaimed after several DNA tests failed to match them with the parents, were on August 25 buried in the cemetery of Fort Portal Regional Referral Hospital.

The school, which had remained under the guard of UPDF, was last month handed over to the owners but with no permission to resume operations.

The school director, Mr Nelson Bulotemu, is still under arrest.
However, since the attack, the joint DRC and Ugandan forces have been pursuing ADF rebels in different parts of eastern DR Congo. Several rebels have been killed, property recovered, and some abducted people rescued during the operations.

On Friday last week, the UPDF handed over 22 Congolese nationals to the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) who were rescued from rebels.

The 22 included 11 young men and 11 young women. Maj Gen Olum, who handed over the 22 Congolese to Maj Gen Roberts Kasonko, the North Kivu Sector Commander of the FARDC, said the intention is to have those rescued rehabilitated and reintegrated into the communities.

On behalf of Uganda, Maj Gen Olum received seven Ugandans and one Ethiopian national who had been rescued by the Congolese army from the ADF.

“Many of these children were abducted by the ADF against their will. Some of them were duped that they were going to get jobs only to find themselves in the jungle of Congo,” he explained.

He also said the rescued Ugandans would be rehabilitated and eventually reunited with their families. Some of the rescued Ugandans were recruited from the districts of Kyankwanzi, Butaleja, and Kasese. Maj Gen Olum cautioned the rescued abductees not to ever be lured into rejoining the ADF.

“Some of you were forced to change religion, at this point you are now at liberty to rejoin your original religion,” he added.

Noela Kathungirwaki from DR Congo government said the rescued abductees would be empowered with skills to enable them to enhance their livelihoods.

“We are going to equip them with skills in tailoring, poultry farming, and motor vehicle mechanics, among others, so that they are in a position to earn a living. We believe that this is one of the ways to support them and prevent them from getting lured into these subversive activities again,” Kathungirwaki said.