Ugandan Man Charged with Supporting IS-Linked Rebel Group

Swalleh Abubakar, a 31-year-old Ugandan, has been charged with terrorism-related offenses, accused of supporting the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a group allied with Islamic State. Extradited from Zambia, Abubakar faces accusations of recruiting fighters and providing material support to ADF, activities allegedly carried out across several African countries.

Swalleh Abubakar, a 31-year-old Ugandan man, has been charged with terrorism-related offenses in Uganda's capital after being extradited from Zambia. According to court documents, Abubakar is accused of supporting the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a rebel group allied with Islamic State (IS), through recruiting fighters and providing material support between 2018 and April 2024.

The ADF, originally an uprising in Uganda now based in Congo, has pledged allegiance to IS since 2019 and is notorious for its violent raids in eastern Congo. Abubakar is charged with 'terrorism financing' and 'rendering support to a terrorist organisation,' and prosecutors allege that he mobilized funds and procured items like digital watches and power banks for ADF.

Prosecutors claim that Abubakar's activities extended to Uganda, Congo, Tanzania, Zambia, and South Africa. Despite not being allowed to enter a plea, he has been remanded to prison and is set to face trial in a higher court. Uganda has attributed several major attacks, including a 2021 triple suicide bombing in Kampala and a 2022 school attack that killed 37 people, to ADF.

(With inputs from agencies.)