Operation Shujaa (DRC-UPDF) against the ADF: The Sentry investigation finds the military operation merely scattered the group into gold- and cocoa-rich areas

Launched in November 2021 by the Congolese and Ugandan armed forces in North Kivu and Ituri, Operation Shujaa is facing growing questions about its effectiveness. A Sentry investigation published on October 27, 2026, says the offensive scattered the ADF into eastern DRC areas rich in gold and cocoa, while the group’s continuing threat allows Uganda to keep thousands of troops in the region. The report says the ADF now finances its operations through gold and other resource trafficking. Justyna Gudzowska urged the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union and the UN to target the group’s financiers, gold traders and intermediaries.