It has strained the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s (DRC) already weak national army, creating a security vacuum that the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) has exploited to expand its operations. The ADF was formed in 1995 under the ADF-National Army for the Liberation of Uganda – a merger of two Ugandan rebel groups. Since gaining a presence in eastern DRC, the group has become deeply embedded in the local landscape, while forging and maintaining outside links. ADF areas of operations, eastern DRCThe operation has had some successes using coordinated air and ground assaults. In fact, rather than dismantling ADF bases, Operation Shujaa has led to growth in the conflict sphere.