US spy plane accused of violating DRC, Uganda airspaces, near oil, military facilities

An alleged US spy plane has been accused of breaching the airspaces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda, raising concerns that it may have been involved in possible espionage in sensitive areas with oil facilities and military bases.
Fresh details have now emerged in Ugandan media, showing the aircraft could have photographed UPDF’s secret bases near the border with the DRC and oil production facilities. According to the Kampala Post, a Bombardier Challenger 604 aircraft flew over Kasese and Bundibugyo in Uganda and Beni in the DRC. The violations of Uganda’s airspace were recorded by the country’s radar stations on three occasions — on 14, 15 and 26 November, Uganda’s defense ministry spokesperson, Brig Felix Kulayigye, confirmed. “It is true and the matter is being handled at the highest level,” Kulayigye stated.
A spokesperson for the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) sent a statement to the Ugandan media, saying the aircraft “deviated from an approved flight path” and did not engage in surveillance. AFRICOM further said it was working with Ugandan authorities to ensure that “no further flight path errors occur.” While the US defense attaché’s office in Kampala had in October requested overflight permission from the country’s army, claiming that the flights were designed to transport equipment and personnel to the DRC, AFRICOM has failed to explain why the US plane did not land in DRC as planned. The Bombardier CL-604 maritime surveillance aircraft has reportedly been used in several spying operations, including in the disputed South China Sea. It is also known to have some of the most modern technology and could therefore not deviate from the approved flight path.