Citizens of at least three Western countries have been cautioned by their respective governments to avoid a prominent music festival in Uganda due to concerns that it could be a potential target for an attack.
Anticipated to draw thousands of attendees, the four-day Nyege Nyege festival commenced on Thursday in Jinja, situated on the shores of Lake Victoria in southern Uganda.
Cautionary advisories from the United States, Britain, and Ireland have been issued in response to a series of lethal attacks in Uganda attributed to a militia with ties to the Islamic State (IS) group, operating from the nearby Democratic Republic of Congo.
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has aimed to reassure both citizens and visitors that the event is secure.
On Thursday, the US embassy in Kampala issued a directive instructing its personnel to refrain from attending the Nyege Nyege festival. The advisory stated, “Due to security concerns, we advise US citizens not (to) attend the festival.”
On Monday, the British High Commission recommended refraining from “all but essential travel to Jinja,” citing a heightened terror threat in Uganda, with a particular focus on targeting foreigners.
Nyege Nyege, an African arts and music festival, draws revelers from across East Africa and beyond, gaining particular popularity among the sizable international community in Kampala.
Uganda is in a state of heightened alert following a series of assaults by suspected Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels. This includes a brutal massacre at a school in Mpondwe near Uganda’s border with the Democratic Republic of Congo, resulting in the tragic deaths of at least 42 people, predominantly students.
In the previous month, a pair of foreign tourists on their honeymoon and their Ugandan guide lost their lives in an attack within a national park. The responsibility for the assault was asserted by the Islamic State (IS).
The ADF, previously recognized as a Ugandan rebel coalition, is alleged to be responsible for the massacre of numerous civilians in the conflict-stricken eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
In a statement on Thursday on X, formerly known as Twitter, Museveni said: “The security forces are guarding the pre-prepared public functions like the controversial Nyege Nyege.”
“The hunt to wipe out the ADF is being intensified,” he added.
In the preceding week, Ugandan authorities declared the apprehension of the individual they allege orchestrated the school massacre and tourist killings. The capture occurred during a raid that resulted in the death of six additional suspects associated with the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF).
Founded in 2015, the Jinja festival has frequently been a source of controversy, facing criticism from numerous political and religious figures who denounce it as immoral and advocate for its prohibition.
“Nyege Nyege” translates to an irresistible urge to dance in the local Luganda language, but in other languages in the region, it may carry a sexual connotation.
The festival is often linked by many Ugandans to social and sexual liberalism, encompassing LGBTQ lifestyles, and is regarded with skepticism in the deeply conservative country. Earlier this year, Uganda implemented stringent anti-gay legislation.