July 2010 Kampala attacks
Encyclopedia
The July 2010 Kampala attacks were suicide bombings carried out against crowds watching a screening of 2010 FIFA World Cup Final
match during the World Cup
at two locations in Kampala
, Uganda, on , 2010. The attacks left 74 dead and 70 injured. Al-Shabaab, an Islamist Somali
militia believed to have ties to Al-Qaida, has claimed responsibility for the attacks as retaliation for Ugandan support for AMISOM. This is al-Shabaab's first attack outside of Somalia.
region. Although Ethiopia withdrew from the country during the War in Somalia (2006–2009), African Union
troops stayed in the country. After the conflict between the ICU and Ethiopia ended, Al Shabaab grew into a potent force against the Transitional Federal Government
(TFG) and threatened attacks against foreign and AU troops in the country. This attack was seen as revenge against the AMISOM presence in Somalia led by Ugandan forces.
Al Qaeda was also rumoured to have been involved in Somalia. The attack follows American warnings of attacks on Air Uganda
planes this year.
Al Shabaab controls much of Somalia and its capital Mogadishu, where it has imposed its own "harsh" form of Sharia law. The group describes itself as waging jihad against "enemies of Islam" and has "declared war on the UN and on Western non-governmental organizations" that distribute food aid in Somalia. It has killed 42 relief workers in 2008 and 2009. It has been designated a terrorist organization by several Western governments and security services, and described as having "ties to Al Qaeda," which their leaders denied until early 2010. Foreign elements of Al-Shabaab are blamed for several suicide bombings. UN's 2006 report stated that among the backers are Iran, Libya, and Egypt. In 2008, the group was congratulated by American Imam Anwar al-Awlaki
who has since been tied to several attacks and plots against the West by radicalized Muslims which he also condoned and justified. He thanked them for "giving us a living example of how we as Muslims should proceed to change our situation. The ballot has failed us, but the bullet has not". In conclusion, he wrote: "if my circumstances would have allowed, I would not have hesitated in joining you and being a soldier in your ranks."
neighbourhood, with many of the victims foreigners. Fifteen people died in this attack. The Kabalagala bombing occurred during the 2010 FIFA World Cup Final
.
The second attack, consisting of two explosions in quick succession, occurred at at Kyadondo Rugby Club
in Nakawa
, where state-run newspaper New Vision
was hosting a screening of the match. According to eyewitnesses, there was an explosion near the 90th minute of the match, followed seconds later by a second explosion that knocked out the lights at the field. An explosion went off directly in front of a large screen that was showing the telecast from South Africa, killing 49 people. The discovery of a severed head and leg at the rugby field suggests that it was a suicide attack
carried out by an individual. A third unexploded vest was later found.
A Uganda Police Force
officer stated the total death toll as 64. A further 71 were hospitalized, 14 of whom were treated for minor injuries and later discharged.
Uganda Police Force
Inspector General Kale Kayihura
stated, "The information we have indicates the people who have attacked the Ethiopian Village were probably targeting expatriates."
Initial reports of further blasts in the neighbourhoods of Ntinda
and Bwaise
were false.
and University of Delaware
graduate, who was among some of the children he worked with. There were also at least six Eritrean and one Ethiopian deaths in the blast.
The injured also included six Methodist missionaries from a Pennsylvania church.
also published facial reconstructions of two suspected bombers.
Uganda's police said they had come to believe two suicide bombers were part of the attacks. Facial reconstructions of the two suspected suicide bombers suggested one was of Somali origin and the other a black African of unknown origin. "There is strong evidence that these attacks were carried out by suicide bombers." The facial identification were on two bodies which "have remained unclaimed and unidentified."
Three Kenyans — Hussein Hassan Agad, Mohamed Adan Abdow and Idris Magondu — were charged with 76 counts of murder. The Chief Magistrate, however, said they were not allowed to enter a plea because the court does not have jurisdiction to rule on the crime of terrorism. They are due back in court on 27 August, but will not be permitted to plead until the Directorate of Public Prosecutions decides the case is ready to move to the High Court. On 12 August, chief of military intelligence James Mugira stated that all suspects at the time had been arrested. On 18 August, Ugandan officials charged 32 people with murder. John Kagezi, the state attorney, said four of those charged confessed to the attacks. Court Hearings were to start for the Ugandan, Kenyan and Somali nationals on 2 September; though police said continued investigations were ongoing and that more arrests may follow.
The Wall Street Journal
quotes an unnamed al-Shabaab senior leader stating, "We have reached our objective. We killed many Christians in the enemy capital (Kampala)." Reports also allege confirmation from other al-Shabaab militants. This is al-Shabaab's first attack outside of Somalia. On , al-Shabaab leader Sheikh Mukhtar Robow had called for attacks against Uganda and Burundi
. Al-Shabaab leader Sheik Yusuf Sheik Issa told Reuters "Uganda is a major infidel country supporting the so-called government of Somalia. We know Uganda is against Islam and so we are very happy at what has happened in Kampala. That is the best news we ever heard." However he refused to confirm or deny responsibility after the attacks, also stating, "Uganda is one of our enemies. Whatever makes them cry, makes us happy. May Allah's anger be upon those who are against us." By 12 July, Sheik Ali Mohamud Rage from Mogadishu stated "We will carry out attacks against our enemy wherever they are ... No one will deter us from performing our Islamic duty." Sheik Ali Mohamud Rage, a spokesman for the group saying "Al-Shabab was behind the two blasts in Uganda. We thank the mujahideen
s that carried out the attack. We are sending a message to Uganda and Burundi, if they do not take out their Amisom troops from Somalia, blasts will continue and it will happen."
Other organisations that had been suspected in the attacks were the Allied Democratic Forces and Lord's Resistance Army, both of which are armed groups operating from the Democratic Republic of the Congo
.
."
Tensions had also been reported to have flared among Ugandan nationals regarding the 10,000+ Somali population in Uganda, most of whom are refugees. The government has repeatedly downplayed or rejected connections between the attack and the nationality or race of the Somali resident population and the TFG (based in Kampala) had appealed to the Somali population to remain calm and cooperate with government investigations into the attack.
summit in Kampala two weeks later, President Yoweri Museveni
urged other African leaders to defeat "the terrorists" and "sweep them out of Africa."
Supranational bodies/African Union
– President of Malawi and Chairman of the African Union Bingu wa Mutharika
condemned the perpetrators "in the strongest terms," and said "The African Union stands with you, my brother President [Museveni] and with the people of Uganda."
States – The Government of Chile "condemned in the most energetic manner the terrorist attack in Kampala... attributed to the Somali extremist group Al Shabaab. Chile values the contribution of Uganda to peace forces in Somalia (AMISOM), which is part of the joint effors of the United Nations and the African Union to bring peace and development to that nation."
– The President of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
, Mohamed Abdelaziz
, sent a message of condolence to his Ugandan counterpart and families of the victims of the Kampala bomb attacks, and expressed condemn "in the strongest possible terms these attacks, as well as all forms of indiscriminate violence that aims to terrorise and inflict harm on innocent people".
– Prime Minister David Cameron
has also passed on his personal condolences to the Ugandan President. Foreign Secretary William Hague
has condemned the bomb attacks in Kampala calling them "cowardly" and stressed the "UK will stand with Uganda in fighting such brutal acts of violence and terror." He also sent "heartfelt sympathies to President Museveni"
– President Barack Obama
, claimed in an interview with SABC
, that the attack was an example of how Al-Qaeda does not regard "African life as valuable in and of itself."
2010 FIFA World Cup Final
The 2010 FIFA World Cup Final was a football match that took place on 11 July 2010 at Soccer City in Johannesburg, South Africa, to determine the winner of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Spain defeated the Netherlands 1–0 with a goal from Andrés Iniesta four minutes from the end of extra time...
match during the World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
at two locations in Kampala
Kampala
Kampala is the largest city and capital of Uganda. The city is divided into five boroughs that oversee local planning: Kampala Central Division, Kawempe Division, Makindye Division, Nakawa Division and Lubaga Division. The city is coterminous with Kampala District.-History: of Buganda, had chosen...
, Uganda, on , 2010. The attacks left 74 dead and 70 injured. Al-Shabaab, an Islamist Somali
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
militia believed to have ties to Al-Qaida, has claimed responsibility for the attacks as retaliation for Ugandan support for AMISOM. This is al-Shabaab's first attack outside of Somalia.
Background
In the years preceding the attack Somalia's Islamic Courts Union (ICU) became a potent force in the country. Consequently, Ethiopia invaded the country to secure its own borders despite ethnic strife in its own OgadenOgaden
Ogaden is the name of a territory comprising the southeastern portion of the Somali Regional State in Ethiopia. The inhabitants are predominantly ethnic Somali and Muslim. The title "Somali Galbeed", which means "Western Somalia," is often preferred by Somali irredentists.The region, which is...
region. Although Ethiopia withdrew from the country during the War in Somalia (2006–2009), African Union
African Union
The African Union is a union consisting of 54 African states. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established on 9 July 2002, the AU was formed as a successor to the Organisation of African Unity...
troops stayed in the country. After the conflict between the ICU and Ethiopia ended, Al Shabaab grew into a potent force against the Transitional Federal Government
Transitional Federal Government
The Transitional Federal Government is the current internationally recognized government of the Republic of Somalia. It was established as one of the Transitional Federal Institutions of government as defined in the Transitional Federal Charter adopted in November 2004 by the Transitional...
(TFG) and threatened attacks against foreign and AU troops in the country. This attack was seen as revenge against the AMISOM presence in Somalia led by Ugandan forces.
Al Qaeda was also rumoured to have been involved in Somalia. The attack follows American warnings of attacks on Air Uganda
Air Uganda
Air Uganda is the designated national airline for Uganda. The company was formed in 2007 and began commercial flight operations on November 15, 2007...
planes this year.
Al Shabaab controls much of Somalia and its capital Mogadishu, where it has imposed its own "harsh" form of Sharia law. The group describes itself as waging jihad against "enemies of Islam" and has "declared war on the UN and on Western non-governmental organizations" that distribute food aid in Somalia. It has killed 42 relief workers in 2008 and 2009. It has been designated a terrorist organization by several Western governments and security services, and described as having "ties to Al Qaeda," which their leaders denied until early 2010. Foreign elements of Al-Shabaab are blamed for several suicide bombings. UN's 2006 report stated that among the backers are Iran, Libya, and Egypt. In 2008, the group was congratulated by American Imam Anwar al-Awlaki
Anwar al-Awlaki
Anwar al-Awlaki was an American and Yemeni imam who was an engineer and educator by training. According to U.S. government officials, he was a senior talent recruiter and motivator who was involved with planning operations for the Islamist militant group al-Qaeda...
who has since been tied to several attacks and plots against the West by radicalized Muslims which he also condoned and justified. He thanked them for "giving us a living example of how we as Muslims should proceed to change our situation. The ballot has failed us, but the bullet has not". In conclusion, he wrote: "if my circumstances would have allowed, I would not have hesitated in joining you and being a soldier in your ranks."
Attacks
The first bombing was carried out at a restaurant called the Ethiopian Village, situated in the KabalagalaKabalagala
Kabalagala is a neighborhood in the city of Kampala, the capital city of Uganda. The name Kabalagala comes from a local type of pancake made from cassava flour and sweet bananas and is spiced with local peppers. Hawkers of this food variety would pull up to motorists as they were waiting to turn...
neighbourhood, with many of the victims foreigners. Fifteen people died in this attack. The Kabalagala bombing occurred during the 2010 FIFA World Cup Final
2010 FIFA World Cup Final
The 2010 FIFA World Cup Final was a football match that took place on 11 July 2010 at Soccer City in Johannesburg, South Africa, to determine the winner of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Spain defeated the Netherlands 1–0 with a goal from Andrés Iniesta four minutes from the end of extra time...
.
The second attack, consisting of two explosions in quick succession, occurred at at Kyadondo Rugby Club
Kyadondo Rugby Club
Kyadondo Rugby Club is a rugby union ground in Kampala, Uganda.It was built in 2000. Facilities include main ground, a training pitch and a club house .The ground is home to several club teams, among them MTN Heathens, a leading rugby club in Uganda...
in Nakawa
Nakawa
Nakawa is an area in the city of Kampala, Uganda's capital. It is also the location of the headquarters of Nakawa Division, one of the five administrative divisions of Kampala.-Location:Nakawa is located on the eastern edge of the city of Kampala...
, where state-run newspaper New Vision
New Vision
New Vision is one of two main national newspapers in Uganda.-History:It was established in its current form in 1986 by the Ugandan Government. New Vision is broadly sympathetic to the government of President Yoweri Museveni. It was founded in 1955 as the Uganda Argus, a British colonial government...
was hosting a screening of the match. According to eyewitnesses, there was an explosion near the 90th minute of the match, followed seconds later by a second explosion that knocked out the lights at the field. An explosion went off directly in front of a large screen that was showing the telecast from South Africa, killing 49 people. The discovery of a severed head and leg at the rugby field suggests that it was a suicide attack
Suicide attack
A suicide attack is a type of attack in which the attacker expects or intends to die in the process.- Historical :...
carried out by an individual. A third unexploded vest was later found.
A Uganda Police Force
Uganda Police Force
The Uganda Police Force is the national police force of Uganda. The head of the Force is called the Inspector General of Police . The current IGP is Major General Edward Kale Kayihura. He is a soldier of the UPDF....
officer stated the total death toll as 64. A further 71 were hospitalized, 14 of whom were treated for minor injuries and later discharged.
Uganda Police Force
Uganda Police Force
The Uganda Police Force is the national police force of Uganda. The head of the Force is called the Inspector General of Police . The current IGP is Major General Edward Kale Kayihura. He is a soldier of the UPDF....
Inspector General Kale Kayihura
Kale Kayihura
Major General Edward Kalekezi Kayihura, more commonly known as Kale Kayihura, is a Ugandan Lawyer, Soldier and Policeman. He is the Inspector General of Police of the Uganda Police Force, the highest rank in that branch of Uganda's government. He has served in that position since 2005 when he...
stated, "The information we have indicates the people who have attacked the Ethiopian Village were probably targeting expatriates."
Initial reports of further blasts in the neighbourhoods of Ntinda
Ntinda
-Location:Ntinda is bordered by Kyambogo to the east, Nakawa to the south, Naguru to the west, Bukoto to the northwest, Kigoowa to the north and Kiwaatule to the northeast. This location is approximately , by road, northeast of Kampala's central business district...
and Bwaise
Bwaise
-Location:Bwaise is bordered by Kawempe to the north, Kyebando to the east, Mulago to the southeast, Makerere to the south and Kasubi to the southwest. This location is approximately , by road, north of Kampala's central business district...
were false.
Casualties
Most of the dead were Ugandan. Others included: an Indian, an Irishman, a lay missionary, one Kenyan was confirmed killed in the attacks, and it was speculated another could have been killed. and an US citizen identified as an employee for the non-profit organisation Invisible ChildrenInvisible Children
Invisible Children: Rough Cut is a 2003 American documentary film. Its subject is the abduction and forced enlistment of children by the sectarian Lord's Resistance Army in Uganda.-Synopsis:...
and University of Delaware
University of Delaware
The university is organized into seven colleges:* College of Agriculture and Natural Resources* College of Arts and Sciences* Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics* College of Earth, Ocean and Environment* College of Education and Human Development...
graduate, who was among some of the children he worked with. There were also at least six Eritrean and one Ethiopian deaths in the blast.
The injured also included six Methodist missionaries from a Pennsylvania church.
Investigation
Ugandan police made arrests in the days following the attack. Another Ugandan was arrested in Kenya over the attacks. Twenty people were arrested, including several Pakistanis, and InterpolInterpol
Interpol, whose full name is the International Criminal Police Organization – INTERPOL, is an organization facilitating international police cooperation...
also published facial reconstructions of two suspected bombers.
Uganda's police said they had come to believe two suicide bombers were part of the attacks. Facial reconstructions of the two suspected suicide bombers suggested one was of Somali origin and the other a black African of unknown origin. "There is strong evidence that these attacks were carried out by suicide bombers." The facial identification were on two bodies which "have remained unclaimed and unidentified."
Three Kenyans — Hussein Hassan Agad, Mohamed Adan Abdow and Idris Magondu — were charged with 76 counts of murder. The Chief Magistrate, however, said they were not allowed to enter a plea because the court does not have jurisdiction to rule on the crime of terrorism. They are due back in court on 27 August, but will not be permitted to plead until the Directorate of Public Prosecutions decides the case is ready to move to the High Court. On 12 August, chief of military intelligence James Mugira stated that all suspects at the time had been arrested. On 18 August, Ugandan officials charged 32 people with murder. John Kagezi, the state attorney, said four of those charged confessed to the attacks. Court Hearings were to start for the Ugandan, Kenyan and Somali nationals on 2 September; though police said continued investigations were ongoing and that more arrests may follow.
Responsibility
Al-Shabaab, one of the groups in the Islamist insurgency in Somalia, has claimed responsibility for the attacks.The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
quotes an unnamed al-Shabaab senior leader stating, "We have reached our objective. We killed many Christians in the enemy capital (Kampala)." Reports also allege confirmation from other al-Shabaab militants. This is al-Shabaab's first attack outside of Somalia. On , al-Shabaab leader Sheikh Mukhtar Robow had called for attacks against Uganda and Burundi
Burundi
Burundi , officially the Republic of Burundi , is a landlocked country in the Great Lakes region of Eastern Africa bordered by Rwanda to the north, Tanzania to the east and south, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west. Its capital is Bujumbura...
. Al-Shabaab leader Sheik Yusuf Sheik Issa told Reuters "Uganda is a major infidel country supporting the so-called government of Somalia. We know Uganda is against Islam and so we are very happy at what has happened in Kampala. That is the best news we ever heard." However he refused to confirm or deny responsibility after the attacks, also stating, "Uganda is one of our enemies. Whatever makes them cry, makes us happy. May Allah's anger be upon those who are against us." By 12 July, Sheik Ali Mohamud Rage from Mogadishu stated "We will carry out attacks against our enemy wherever they are ... No one will deter us from performing our Islamic duty." Sheik Ali Mohamud Rage, a spokesman for the group saying "Al-Shabab was behind the two blasts in Uganda. We thank the mujahideen
Mujahideen
Mujahideen are Muslims who struggle in the path of God. The word is from the same Arabic triliteral as jihad .Mujahideen is also transliterated from Arabic as mujahedin, mujahedeen, mudžahedin, mudžahidin, mujahidīn, mujaheddīn and more.-Origin of the concept:The beginnings of Jihad are traced...
s that carried out the attack. We are sending a message to Uganda and Burundi, if they do not take out their Amisom troops from Somalia, blasts will continue and it will happen."
Other organisations that had been suspected in the attacks were the Allied Democratic Forces and Lord's Resistance Army, both of which are armed groups operating from the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
.
Repercussions
The synchronised attacks were read in the Western media as "a troubling new front in al-Shabab’s campaign to isolate the U.S.-subsidised Transitional Federal GovernmentTransitional Federal Government
The Transitional Federal Government is the current internationally recognized government of the Republic of Somalia. It was established as one of the Transitional Federal Institutions of government as defined in the Transitional Federal Charter adopted in November 2004 by the Transitional...
."
Tensions had also been reported to have flared among Ugandan nationals regarding the 10,000+ Somali population in Uganda, most of whom are refugees. The government has repeatedly downplayed or rejected connections between the attack and the nationality or race of the Somali resident population and the TFG (based in Kampala) had appealed to the Somali population to remain calm and cooperate with government investigations into the attack.
Reactions
Domestic – At an African UnionAfrican Union
The African Union is a union consisting of 54 African states. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established on 9 July 2002, the AU was formed as a successor to the Organisation of African Unity...
summit in Kampala two weeks later, President Yoweri Museveni
Yoweri Museveni
Yoweri Kaguta Museveni is a Ugandan politician and statesman. He has been President of Uganda since 26 January 1986.Museveni was involved in the war that deposed Idi Amin Dada, ending his rule in 1979, and in the rebellion that subsequently led to the demise of the Milton Obote regime in 1985...
urged other African leaders to defeat "the terrorists" and "sweep them out of Africa."
Supranational bodies/African Union
African Union
The African Union is a union consisting of 54 African states. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established on 9 July 2002, the AU was formed as a successor to the Organisation of African Unity...
– President of Malawi and Chairman of the African Union Bingu wa Mutharika
Bingu wa Mutharika
Bingu wa Mutharika is a Malawi economist who is President of Malawi. He took office on 24 May 2004 after winning a disputed presidential election...
condemned the perpetrators "in the strongest terms," and said "The African Union stands with you, my brother President [Museveni] and with the people of Uganda."
-
- Virtually every speaker at the AU summit condemned the attacks.
States – The Government of Chile "condemned in the most energetic manner the terrorist attack in Kampala... attributed to the Somali extremist group Al Shabaab. Chile values the contribution of Uganda to peace forces in Somalia (AMISOM), which is part of the joint effors of the United Nations and the African Union to bring peace and development to that nation."
– The President of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic is a partially recognised state that claims sovereignty over the entire territory of Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony. SADR was proclaimed by the Polisario Front on February 27, 1976, in Bir Lehlu, Western Sahara. The SADR government controls about...
, Mohamed Abdelaziz
Mohamed Abdelaziz
Mohamed Abdelaziz is the 3rd and current Secretary General of the Polisario Front and President of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic since 1976...
, sent a message of condolence to his Ugandan counterpart and families of the victims of the Kampala bomb attacks, and expressed condemn "in the strongest possible terms these attacks, as well as all forms of indiscriminate violence that aims to terrorise and inflict harm on innocent people".
– Prime Minister David Cameron
David Cameron
David William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....
has also passed on his personal condolences to the Ugandan President. Foreign Secretary William Hague
William Hague
William Jefferson Hague is the British Foreign Secretary and First Secretary of State. He served as Leader of the Conservative Party from June 1997 to September 2001...
has condemned the bomb attacks in Kampala calling them "cowardly" and stressed the "UK will stand with Uganda in fighting such brutal acts of violence and terror." He also sent "heartfelt sympathies to President Museveni"
– President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
, claimed in an interview with SABC
South African Broadcasting Corporation
The South African Broadcasting Corporation is the state-owned broadcaster in South Africa and provides 18 radio stations as well as 3 television broadcasts to the general public.-Early years:Radio broadcasting began in South Africa in 1923...
, that the attack was an example of how Al-Qaeda does not regard "African life as valuable in and of itself."
- An anonymous U.S. government official confided to Jake TapperJake TapperJacob Paul "Jake" Tapper is an American print and television journalist, currently the senior White House correspondent for ABC News in Washington, D.C...
of ABC NewsABC NewsABC News is the news gathering and broadcasting division of American broadcast television network ABC, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company...
an administration belief that Al-Qaeda is a "racist organisation" which practices discriminatory techniques and sentiments in the deployment of black African operatives (e.g., only targeting black African recruits for lower-level missions such as suicide bombings) because economic conditions in most African countries supposedly make black Africans more susceptible to recruitment than Arabs.