UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemned Saturday’s deadly attack on a secondary school in western Uganda, allegedly carried out by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF).
According to the Ugandan authorities, at least 37 pupils were killed and eight others are in a critical condition, while six pupils are in the hands of the rebels.
The UN Secretary-General’s Deputy Spokesman, Farhan Haq, conveyed Mr Guterres’ sincere condolences to the families of the victims and to the government and people of Uganda, stressing that those responsible for this appalling attack must be brought to justice.
Calling for the immediate release of those abducted, Mr Guterres reiterated the importance of collective efforts, including through strengthened regional partnerships, to combat cross-border insecurity between the DRC and Uganda and restore lasting peace to the region.
Recalling that on Friday night ADF rebels attacked the Lhubirira secondary school in Mpondwe, on the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Known as a branch of the Islamic State in Central Africa, the ADF group is entrenched in the jungles of eastern DRC, and has been singled out for the havoc it wreaks on villages in the east of the DRC.