Uganda: Authorities foil suicide attack in Pader, Northern Region, Aug. 26

Event

Officials announced Aug. 27 that they had foiled a planned suicide bomb attack in Pader, Northern Region. Authorities reportedly arrested a Ugandan man Aug. 26 who was planning to target government officials during the funeral of a former top army commander. Security forces also discovered homemade explosives, suicide vests, and mobile phones. Authorities did not immediately release details regarding whether the would-be assailant acted alone or was linked to a militant organization.

Context

Ugandan security forces have reportedly foiled several plots involving the Somalia-based al-Shabaab group and its sympathizers in recent years. Al-Shabaab has repeatedly threatened to launch attacks in Uganda in retaliation for the country's involvement in the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). The Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), which is historically based in Uganda and operates in neighboring DRC, is also a concern.

The incident highlights the terror threat from militant groups and homegrown assailants in East Africa. On a related note, Tanzanian security forces killed an assailant, allegedly a Somali national, involved in a shooting incident near the Embassy of France in Dar es Salaam Aug. 25. The attacker killed three police officers and a security guard.