General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the powerful Ugandan army chief and son of President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, has openly shown which side he supports in the deadly conflict between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the Alliance Fleuve Congo/M23 coalition.
His words have sent shockwaves across the region and raised new questions about Uganda’s real role in the war tearing apart eastern Congo.
Over the weekend, Muhoozi used his social media platform to deliver a strong message. He said that if the M23/AFC fighters capture the city of Uvira in South Kivu, then the Ugandan army will also move to take control of Kisangani, a key city in Tshopo province.
“If my brothers in M23 capture Uvira, we shall immediately take Kisangani,” General Muhoozi declared.
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The statement was not only bold but also a clear sign of military support for the M23/AFC coalition.
Just days earlier, Muhoozi had claimed that Kisangani is already filled with more than one thousand foreign mercenaries, including fighters from El Salvador, who he says were hired by Kinshasa to fight against M23. He warned that Ugandan forces would help M23 fight these mercenaries if necessary.
This is not the first time he has hinted at intervention. Two months ago, he had already promised that if M23 begins fighting in Uvira, Ugandan forces would expand their military presence.
He added that if war continues to escalate in eastern Congo, Uganda will not hesitate to defend what he called “its national interests.”
The timing of his statements is critical. Heavy fighting has once again broken out between the Congolese army (FARDC) and the M23/AFC coalition, especially in Walungu territory near Uvira. Reports say M23 has already surrounded Uvira, controlling nearby hills like Rurambo and Bijombo, as well as areas in the Ruzizi Plain and Fizi.
This means the city could fall into M23’s hands at any moment.
Meanwhile, the M23/AFC has accused Congo’s army of attacking civilian areas with heavy artillery and even kamikaze drones.
Political spokesman Lawrence Kanyuka said on X (formerly Twitter):
“The Congolese army launched massive shelling in Nzimba, Kanyola, and nearby areas on Sunday morning. They used heavy weapons and kamikaze drones against civilians.”
He added that FARDC has been deploying soldiers with the help of FDLR fighters, Wazalendo militias, and even Imbonerakure youth groups from Burundi.
According to him, Congo has also been airlifting soldiers from Kisangani to North Kivu using Antonov aircraft.
These accusations came only weeks after Congo and M23, with the support of Qatar, had signed principles for peace in Doha on July 19, 2025.
Those principles included releasing prisoners, stopping the fighting, and returning to negotiations by August 8.
But nothing has gone as planned. The ceasefire was broken almost immediately, both sides accuse each other of new attacks, and the promised peace deal was never signed by the August 18 deadline.
A Qatari official involved in the talks admitted that the process has faced obstacles.
“We have made significant steps in preparing a peace framework between DRC and M23,” he said. “Although the signing did not happen on time, both parties have shown willingness to continue dialogue.”
Qatar says it remains in close contact with the United States and the African Union to keep the process alive.
However, with fresh battles in eastern Congo and Muhoozi’s public declaration of support for M23, many now fear that the conflict could widen into a regional war.
For Kinshasa, Muhoozi’s words confirm what it has long suspected: that Uganda and Rwanda quietly back the M23 rebellion.
For Uganda, the statement shows that Muhoozi is not afraid to openly challenge Congo and defend his “brothers” in the M23/AFC.
For ordinary people in eastern Congo, it means more uncertainty, more displacement, and more fear, as the dream of peace once again slips away.
The world is now watching: will Muhoozi turn his words into action, and will the region descend into an even deeper war?
