Jamil Mukulu on Trial: A Turning Point for Regional Counterterrorism and Transitional Justice in Central Africa

Executive Summary

The long-awaited trial of Jamil Mukulu – founder and historical leader of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) – marks a pivotal moment for Uganda’s justice system and for counterterrorism efforts in the Great Lakes region. As proceedings finally resume in Kampala, after nearly a decade of delays, analysts and observers are closely monitoring the case for its legal, security, and political implications. Mukulu’s history as a radical ideologue, commander of one of Africa’s deadliest insurgencies, and architect of transnational jihadist operations underscores the high stakes of this judicial milestone.

From Radicalization to Militant Leadership

Jamil Mukulu's transformation from Christian youth in Uganda to global jihadist leader is emblematic of the paths taken by many extremist figures. Having converted to Islam and absorbed hardline doctrines abroad, Mukulu returned to Uganda in the 1990s to establish the ADF as an armed Islamist group. His vision extended beyond Uganda, with early links to transnational networks and training in foreign jihadist hubs. Mukulu merged local discontent with global ideology, fuelling a violent insurgency underpinned by religious rhetoric and militarized grievance.

The ADF Under Mukulu: Terror, Recruitment, and Regional Reach

As ADF commander, Mukulu oversaw campaigns of calculated brutality across Uganda and eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). His fighters targeted civilians, abducted children, and launched high-impact attacks – turning the ADF into a hybrid insurgent-criminal group. The group’s operational model combined ideological indoctrination, forced recruitment, extortion, and violence, particularly in areas with minimal state presence. Under his leadership, the ADF became a persistent threat to regional security, capable of destabilizing entire districts.

Capture and Long-Term Detention

After years on the run, Mukulu was arrested in 2015 in Tanzania and extradited to Uganda. His apprehension followed a multi-agency effort and was celebrated by regional governments. However, the years that followed saw prolonged legal delays. Held in remand for nearly a decade, Mukulu’s case stalled repeatedly due to procedural wrangling, lack of interpretation services, and contested jurisdiction. Human rights groups raised concerns about due process, while victims’ families feared justice would remain elusive.

The Trial Begins: Symbolism and Strategic Value

With proceedings now formally underway, Mukulu stands trial alongside nearly two dozen co-defendants. Charges include terrorism, murder, attempted murder, and crimes against humanity. For victims and survivors, this moment is highly symbolic—a public acknowledgment of their suffering and an opportunity for institutional redress. The courtroom becomes not only a venue for legal accountability, but a platform for broader healing and memory.

This trial also carries regional weight. It demonstrates that even ideologically driven insurgent leaders are not beyond the reach of national justice systems. It sends a strong message to current armed group leaders operating in DRC and across the region.

Implications for ADF’s Evolution and Regional Threat Landscape

Despite Mukulu’s imprisonment, the ADF remains active—now under new leadership and reportedly aligned with international jihadist actors. The group has intensified attacks in the DRC and launched deadly operations in Uganda in recent years. Mukulu’s ideological blueprint and command structures continue to influence ADF cells. His trial, while focused on past crimes, could shed light on the financial, recruitment, and logistical systems that keep the group alive.

The security sector views the trial as an intelligence-gathering opportunity, potentially exposing dormant sleeper cells, foreign support networks, and regional supply corridors. For neighbouring states, Mukulu’s testimony and associated evidence may inform future counterinsurgency strategies and interagency coordination.

Victims, Justice, and the Demand for Reparations

Beyond prosecution, many civil society voices are calling for long-term recognition and reparative action for victims of ADF violence. Survivors’ groups stress the importance of psychosocial support, medical treatment, and financial compensation. There is growing consensus that transitional justice in Uganda must evolve to address the full spectrum of victim needs—not just punitive justice but also rehabilitation and acknowledgment.

Strategic Reflections and Policy Considerations

• For Security Analysts: Mukulu’s testimony could reshape understanding of jihadist group resilience and mutation in Central Africa. His insights into the early financing and strategy of the ADF could inform threat modelling for new or evolving insurgencies.
• For Regional Governments: The trial highlights the importance of cross-border collaboration in capturing high-value targets. It also underscores the need for judicial reform to expedite complex trials without sacrificing due process.
• For International NGOs and Donors: There is a strong need to balance support for prosecutions with parallel investments in victim services, trauma healing, and community reintegration programs—especially in eastern DRC and western Uganda.
• For Peacebuilding Practitioners: The case reaffirms that justice mechanisms must be swift, transparent, and survivor cantered. Extended pre-trial detentions erode public confidence and risk turning justice into spectacle rather than substance.

Escalating Threat: ADF/ISCAP’s Shift Toward More Lethal Operations

While Jamil Mukulu awaits justice in Kampala, his legacy continues to cast a deadly shadow over Central Africa. Over the past ten days alone, ADF/ISCAP fighters have intensified their campaign of terror in eastern DRC, demonstrating the group’s continued capacity for high-impact violence.

In Lubero territory, North Kivu, more than 50 civilians were brutally killed in a series of night raids. These attacks targeted remote villages, where victims were executed with machetes or shot at close range. Survivors reported entire families being wiped out, homes torched, and local infrastructure destroyed.

Simultaneously, in Ituri province, particularly in the chiefdoms of Walese Vonkutu and Bahema Boga, ADF/ISCAP elements ambushed civilian convoys and military positions, leaving at least 60 additional casualties, including women and children. Most of these attacks occurred in hard-to-reach forested zones, further complicating humanitarian access and military response. In total, over 110 deaths have been attributed to ADF/ISCAP in the span of ten days, underscoring a terrifying escalation.

These massacres reveal a strategic shift by the group: exploiting the vacuum of overstretched national forces and increasingly targeting areas undergoing partial demobilization or DDR processes. Their operational zones now bleed into areas where transitional programs are being piloted, undermining community trust in state institutions.

Conclusion: Justice on Trial, but Violence Unchecked

As Jamil Mukulu stands before Uganda’s judiciary, the insurgent force he once led has mutated into a more decentralized, brutal, and regionally embedded threat. The atrocities committed by ADF/ISCAP in Lubero and Ituri—just as Mukulu’s trial resumes—are a grim reminder that dismantling an ideology requires more than the detention of a single figurehead.

This trial is therefore both a milestone and a warning. While it holds symbolic weight for victims, it must be accompanied by coordinated counterinsurgency efforts, strategic intelligence collaboration, and long-term peacebuilding investments—especially in the DRC, where ADF/ISCAP has found fertile ground amid institutional fragility.

Failure to act decisively could allow the group to regenerate further, adapting to regional cracks and exploiting governance voids. Justice for Mukulu must not become a distraction from the urgent need to neutralize his ideological heirs—before more civilians pay the price in blood.