Allied Democratic Forces
The Allied Democratic Forces (French: Forces démocratiques alliées; abbreviated ADF) is an Islamist rebel group in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), considered a terrorist organisation by the Ugandan government. It was originally based in western Uganda but has expanded into the neighbouring DRC. Most Ugandan ADF fighters are Muslims from the Baganda and Basoga ethnic groups.
| Allied Democratic Forces | |
|---|---|
| Vikosi vya Muungano wa Kidemokrasia (Swahili) Forces Démocratiques Alliées (French) | |
Flag of the ADF | |
| Leaders | Jamil Mukulu (POW) (leader until 2015) Musa Baluku (leader 2015–2019; commander of pro-ISIL faction from 2019) "Muzaaya" (commander of Mukulu loyalists from 2019) Dusman Sabuni † |
| Dates of operation | 1996–2019 (unified group) 2019–present (factionalised) |
| Headquarters | Madina ?–2020 |
| Ideology | Islamic extremism |
| Size | 500 (in 2018) |
| Part of | Islamic State's Central Africa Province (Baluku faction) |
| Allies | APC (armed wing of RCD/K-ML) Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant Al-Shabaab (suspected) Lord's Resistance Army Sudan (suspected) |
| Opponents | Uganda Democratic Republic of Congo Angola Mozambique Rwanda Kenya Tanzania |
| Battles and wars | Allied Democratic Forces insurgency, Kivu conflict |
| Designated as a terrorist group by | Uganda United States |
Since the late 1990s, the ADF has operated in the DRC's North Kivu province near the border with Uganda. While repeated military offensives against the ADF have severely affected it, the ADF has been able to regenerate because its recruitment and financial networks have remained intact. Some of the attacks it has been blamed for also appear to have been committed by other rebel groups as well as the Congolese Armed Forces.
From 2015, the ADF experienced a radicalisation after the imprisonment of its leader Jamil Mukulu and the rise of Musa Baluku in his place. From 2019, the ADF had split, with one part remaining loyal to Mukulu, while the other had merged into the Islamic State's Central Africa Province under Baluku.