Uganda and Sudan discuss joint offensive on LRA rebels
Text of report by Anne Mugisa and Abubaker Mukose entitled “Museveni plans LRA end” published by Ugandan newspaper The New Vision website, BBC Monitoring Africa.
Aug 30, 2005 (Kampala) — President Yoweri Museveni is in talks with Sudanese President Umar al-Bashir for a joint UPDF [Uganda People’s Defence Forces], Sudanese Army and SPLA [Sudan People’s Liberation Army] military offensive against [Lord’s Resistance Army rebel leader] Joseph Kony, who has now fled across the red line to the north of Juba.
Museveni has also ordered all security organizations to keep all arms in the armouries, following the spate of murders in Kampala city.
“There’re been murders in Kampala, Robinah Kiyingi, the man killed in Kira and others… [as published] I want all the guns to be stored in the armouries instead of security officers’ houses, except those in war areas and Karamoja. The guns have to be in the armoury and should only be moved according to established procedure,” Museveni said yesterday.
The president was passing out over 200 soldiers, some of them former rebels, at the Jinja Military Academy.
The former rebels passed out at the rank of second lieutenant.
According to army commander Aronda Nyakairima, promotions would come shortly.
Meanwhile, the commissioned soldiers will get a 14-day leave as the promotions committee works on their new ranks and deployment.
Museveni said the army had defeated Kony and destroyed his group. He said since January when Kony declined to come out of the bush, the UPDF had killed 550 rebels and captured more than 300 guns.
“Now he is remaining with very few people, may be 100, and has now fled to north of Juba on Nisitu-Torit road. We are not allowed to operate there. Last Friday [26 August], I talked to President al-Bashir. I want to pursue Kony there. Al-Bashir said the Sudanese army in Juba can operate against Kony there. However, I proposed that we work together with the Sudanese army and the SPLA to hunt him. If Kony wants to come out, let him come to an assembly area,” he said.
Former LRA [Lord’s Resistance Army] rebel commanders Brig Kenneth Banya, Brig Sam Kolo and Col Onen Kamdul and former UNRF’s Maj-Gen Ali Bamuze, attended the pass out.
Banya, Kolo and Kamdul said they were happy to see their former fighters absorbed in the UPDF. “This inclusion of our officers is excellent. There are still some but they will also be trained,” Banya said.