Harare — Uganda will ask the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) for permission to increase the operational area of the two nations' combined hunt for the Allied Defence Forces (ADF), indicating that the hunt may continue on longer, The East African reports.

But, according to the report, controversy was sparked by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni's decision to criticize the inaction of former Congolese President Joseph Kabila in dealing with the terrorist organization in the past.

While speaking to the nation on security issues on July 13 Museveni, who frequently praised Kabila's successor President Felix Tshisekedi, for his decision to permit the Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF) to operate in the DR Congo starting in November 2021. Museveni said Uganda had enough soldiers to protect its rear in Uganda while simultaneously pursuing the rebels up to Mbandaka, beyond the operation area, provided the Congolese government would permit it.

One of the difficult points brought up in the past was whether to increase the number of troops on the ground as well as the operating region of Operation Shujaa, as it is formally known.

According to sources with knowledge of the meetings' deliberations, Tshisekedi, who Museveni characterized as being more helpful than his predecessor, was reluctant to permit it due to pressure from authorities in Kinshasa.

From their base in the jungles of the mineral-rich neighboring DR Congo, the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), which were founded in 1995 in Uganda to oppose Museveni's regime, were killing both civilians and security officials for years.

In June, the group, which declared allegiance to ISIL (ISIS) in 2019, raided a secondary school and killed 42 people, predominantly children.