‘LRA Has Weapon Reserve in Sudan’

By Joyce Namutebi And Milton Olupot

Kampala, Sept 24, 2003 (New Vision) — THE Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) terrorising various parts of the country has a reservoir of arms buried in large quantities along River Kit in Sudan and in various parts of Northern Uganda, Parliament has heard.

The House also heard that according to former captives, LRA’s next destination is Mbale district.

The House further heard that the rebel leader, Joseph Kony, has 50 wives and over 100 children.

The revelations are contained in a 30-page report on the security situation in the country presented to Parliament by the sessional committee on defence yesterday.

The committee was mandated by Parliament to monitor its May 14, 2003 resolution and report every three months on the steps taken.

The resolution mentions 11 areas of concern which Parliament wants Government to address urgently including ending insurgency, cattle rustling and hostilities involving neighbouring counties.

The committee, in its report, presented by the chairperson Simon Mayende, said it interacted with a number of individuals and discussed the security situation in northern Uganda.

The MPs visited Teso region, held discussions with the ministers of defence, MPs, members of the Government’s peace talks team, former captives, captured rebels, army commanders, people in camps, security officials and visited scenes of attack.

They said while in Teso, they noted “a sense of bitterness, betrayal and a feeling that the Government had little concern for their suffering.”

But state minister for defence Ruth Nankabirwa said some statements by the committee were alarmist and not collaborated with evidence.

She said the LRA did not have a large reserve of arms.

She denied reports that the UPDF had failed to protect the people in the war-ravaged region.