Gulu — The Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) have issued a stern warning to individuals threatening to revive armed rebellion in northern Uganda, saying any attempt to return to insurgency will be swiftly crushed.
Speaking on Friday, January 2, 2026, the UPDF 4th Infantry Division Commander, Maj Gen Felix Busizoori, dismissed recent claims by a group identifying themselves as former Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) warlords, who reportedly declared an interest in resuming guerrilla warfare against President Yoweri Museveni’s government.
“Don’t tamper by going to the bush,” Busizoori warned. “We shall pick you like a grasshopper. In the first two days, you will be crushed.”
Army dismisses threats
Busizoori said the military views the statements as empty posturing and insisted the UPDF has the intelligence capacity and operational readiness to detect and neutralise any armed group attempting to reorganise in the region.
The blunt warning comes amid heightened political and security sensitivity ahead of Uganda’s general elections scheduled for January 15, 2026, though the UPDF has not directly linked the threats to the electoral process.
Northern Uganda was the epicentre of the LRA insurgency led by Joseph Kony, which ravaged the region for nearly two decades from the late 1980s, leaving thousands dead and millions displaced. The rebellion was effectively defeated by the mid-2000s, ushering in a prolonged period of relative peace.
Peace not negotiable
Military officials say any suggestion of a return to armed conflict is unacceptable and unrealistic, given the region’s transformation and the UPDF’s presence.
“There is peace, stability and development in northern Uganda,” a security source said, noting that communities that bore the brunt of the LRA conflict have no appetite for renewed violence.
Busizoori, a seasoned officer who has previously commanded operations in Karamoja and other conflict-prone regions, has repeatedly emphasised discipline, intelligence-led operations and cooperation with civilians as pillars of Uganda’s security strategy.
The UPDF has reiterated that armed rebellion has no place in Uganda’s current political environment and that any attempt to destabilise the country will be met with decisive force.
