Benjamin Kisokeranio alias Ben who has been in charge of intelligence, finances, and supplies within Allied Democratic forces ‘ADF’ has been captured by Congolese army forces in Vira region on his way from Burundi.
Benjamin is the son of Bwambale Kisokeranio, the leader of the National Army for the Liberation of Uganda (NALU), a Ugandan rebel group based in DRC that was fighting against the Ugandan government.
NALU eventually merged with the ADF, until the former brokered a peace agreement with the Ugandan government. Although other NALU members took advantage of the agreement to return home, Benjamin, who grew up in the bush, decided to stay behind with the ADF and converted to Islam.
Benjamin acted as a go-between for the ADF/NALU and their benefactors in Sudan. He reportedly worked with Hassan al Turabi, an influential hardline politician in Sudan, and helped facilitate the first transfer of weapons from Sudan to the ADF in the mid-1990s. While in Sudan, he also received training in improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Eventually, however, the Sudanese government withdrew its support, and Benjamin transitioned to being one of Jamil Mukulu’s guards and helping with the ADF’s finances. He was often the one trusted with communicating Jamil’s orders to the rest of the group and was trusted with helping to bring two of Jamil’s sons from Kenya to the ADF camps.
Benjamin, a Mukonjo from Kasese district, Uganda, has a sister in Kampala who helped the ADF transport recruits across the border to their DRC bases. He is considered a historical, although by an unconventional route. He has two wives and several children. Benjamin acts as judge in the ADF courts alongside Baluku and other top members.
