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News
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Written by Edris Kiggundu
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Wednesday, 08 July 2009 17:06 |
The UPDF is pursuing the Lord’s Resistance Army in the Central African Republic (CAR), The Observer has learnt.
This came to light after well informed military sources told this newspaper that the UPDF has registered what it considers a decisive blow against the LRA in Southern Sudan over the last couple of days.
This success has prompted an upbeat Aronda Nyakairima, Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), to order his field commanders to pursue the LRA remnants in Eastern Congo as well as CAR, and complete the job.
In the same vein, the CDF has named a media team headed by former Army spokesman, Maj. Paddy Ankunda and Mega FM’s John Lacambel, whose duty is to reach out to stranded LRA rebels and urge them to surrender.
“Some of them (rebels) have fled to CAR, others are deep inside DRC or CAR. All remnants should be pursued, captured, forced to surrender or face death,” our source quotes Aronda as instructing the Coordinator of ‘Operation Lightening Thunder’ in Southern Sudan/Eastern Congo.
Indeed according to our information, the Army has been lately involved in skirmishes with the rebels but the details of these operations are yet to come to light.
According to our military sources, the UPDF operations inside the CAR are overseen by Lt. Col. Richard Otto.
Last week, Otto got instructions from Nyakairima to pursue one of Joseph Kony’s top commanders, Bok Abudema, and destroy his CAR-based group.
On the other hand, Maj. Paul Muwonge is charged with pursuing LRA groups under Okot Odhiambo and Dominic Ongwen in a “search and destroy” mission. The 301and 309 brigade commanders have been given two weeks to complete these tasks, our sources said.
We are yet to establish whether the offensive inside CAR has the blessing of the CAR government, like operations inside Southern Sudan and DR Congo before it.
Meanwhile, the whereabouts of Joseph Kony remain unknown after his main camps in Garamba Forest, DR Congo, were destroyed by the UPDF in a surprise air and ground attack late last year. Remnants of the rebel outfit are said to have sneaked into CAR after that raid.
A news report by an organisation, Congo Watch, said in January 2009 that Kony had escaped to the fringes of Garamba Forest, while another LRA group led by Okot Odhiambo and Bok Abudema had fled to CAR.
Army Spokesman Maj. Felix Kulayigye said he was not aware of any impending UPDF operations against the LRA.
“I am not aware of anything,” he said twice, before asking this writer who our sources on this story are.
However, Kulayigye did confirm the appointment of Maj. Ankunda to take charge of “special media operations” in the office of the CDF.
The UPDF resumed operations against LRA after the Juba peace talks between government and the rebels collapsed in 2007.
The conflict has raged on for the last 22 years, leaving thousands dead, maimed or displaced.
However, the last three years have seen peace in most parts of northern Uganda, and as a result thousands of displaced people have been returning to their homes.
The government is keen to keep the north peaceful as this is expected to earn the ruling party more political support in a region that has previously voted against the ruling party overwhelmingly.
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