UPDF and FARDC mistakenly shoots at each other

 One civilian was killed, four FARDC soldiers

and a Ugandan army soldier injured, during a clash that took place accidentally on Saturday, December 21 in the Irumu territory between a group of soldiers engaged in joint operations against the ADF rebels based in Idohu and other soldiers who were returning from a reconnaissance patrol in the forest. 

According to human rights activists, these patrollers were mistaken by their comrades-in-arms for enemies, which created total panic in this entity. 

 In Idohu-Centre on the Komanda-Luna axis in the Irumu territory, FARDC-UPDF soldiers, who were supervising civilians who were carrying out community sanitation work commonly called "Salongo", were surprised by a group of armed men coming from the forest. 

It was in fact a group of other FARDC-UPDF soldiers, who were returning from a routine patrol in the area. 

Mistaking them for ADF rebels, the soldiers in Idohu opened fire on their comrades in arms.

An exchange of fire ensued. 

Human rights activists in the region report that one civilian died after the clash, hit by a stray bullet.

Four FARDC soldiers and one element of the Ugandan army seriously injured. 

Christophe Munyaderu of the Convention for the Respect of Human Rights/Irumu indicates that the situation became calm again in the evening, after having sown panic among the population. 

Shujaa operations spokesman Colonel Mak Hazukay promised to comment on the incident at a later date. 

The Congolese and Ugandan armies have been carrying out joint operations against the ADF for several months in this region.