A senior official from the armed M23 rebel group has been arrested by Ugandan security forces for recruiting Congolese refugees at Kyangwali Refugee Settlement in Kikuube District, western Uganda.

The arrest was made on September 5, 2024, according to sources from security agencies.

The suspect, identified as David Baraka Elonga, serves as the political commissar for the Congo River Alliance (Alliance Fleuve Congo – AFC), a coalition aligned with M23.

Authorities allege that Baraka was actively recruiting refugees to undergo military training in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) with the aim of toppling the government of President Felix Tshisekedi.

During interrogation, Baraka admitted to working under the direct command of AFC leader Corneille Yobeluo Nangaa. He also revealed that he operated from Bunia in Ituri Province’s Djugu territory.

A local official at the refugee camp, speaking anonymously, disclosed that Baraka had already recruited 32 individuals, including four young girls, who were waiting to be transported to the DRC for military training. “The refugees were promised better lives and future rewards,” the official said.

This incident confirms ongoing concerns raised by the United Nations about rebel groups, such as the M23/AFC alliance, recruiting fighters from Ugandan refugee settlements. Recent UN reports have highlighted the movement’s efforts to strengthen its ranks by targeting vulnerable refugees.

The AFC, launched in December 2023 in Nairobi, seeks to extend the influence of the M23 rebel group beyond eastern DRC. The coalition has been blamed for fueling political unrest, displacement of civilians, and regional instability.

Authorities revealed that Baraka had crossed into Uganda through the porous Tchomia-Bugoma border on August 8, 2024, before covertly entering the refugee camp. His recruits were reportedly headed to Bunagana, an M23-controlled town near the Uganda-Rwanda border, for military training.

Baraka now faces human trafficking charges, while efforts to contact AFC leader Nangaa have so far been unsuccessful.

The investigation remains ongoing.