Pregnant woman among 15 charged for Uganda attacks

A court in Uganda has charged 15 people – including a pregnant woman – with terrorism over their alleged role in several attacks in the country.

Most of the defendants were accused of being members of Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a militant group which is part of the Islamic State group.

The authorities say the group is behind four recent bombings.

Uganda launched a military offensive against ADF in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo.

The militant group was formed in the 1990s by Ugandans disgruntled with the government’s treatment of Muslims, but it was routed and removed from bases in the western mountainous Rwenzori region, where its fighters had been attacking villages and torching schools in the early 2000s.

Attacks in October and three suicide bombings in the capital, Kampala, in November alarmed the authorities about the group’s changing tactics.

Police told AFP news agency the 15 suspects faced charges of terrorism, aiding and abetting terrorism, and belonging to a terrorist group, and they would remain in custody until their next court appearance on 13 January.

The accused did not enter a plea.

Earlier this month Dr Congo approved a request from Uganda to launch an offensive involving air strikes and ground troops in the eastern region against ADF militants.

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