Sudan Halts Uganda’s Pursuit for Kony

By Charles Kazooba, The New Times.

Aug 31, 2005 (Kampala) — The Uganda rebel leader Joseph Kony may soon find some breathing space after the Sudan authorities declined to renew the agreement they signed with Uganda, allowing the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) to pursue the rebels in southern Sudan.

According to the Ugandan Defence minister Amama Mbabazi the protocol agreement between the two countries that expired on 30th June this year will not be renewed.

“When I visited Sudan, recently, Bashir (Sudanese president) notified me that the Khartoum government will not renew the agreement because of the changes in governance in the Arab state,” Mbabazi told members of the parliament on the Defence committee during the budget review process.

In the agreement, the two countries arranged that the UPDF trails the rebels up to the redline, which was drawn 90 miles from the Uganda-Sudan border. The agreement was signed in September 1999. The implication of the Khartoum decision is that UPDF can no longer operate within southern Sudan, Mbabazi explained.

UPDF recently registered comfortable success against the LRA. Numerous Kony commanders and fighters have surrendered and others have been liquidated. Prominent among those who have surrendered is Kony’s most trusted architect of the rebellion, Brig. Banya. The international players recently declared the rebels terrorists.

Kony, who heads the Lords Resistance Army (LRA), has been battling the Kampala regime since 1986. The 19-year insurgency subjected to northern Uganda has left the Acholi region devastated.

However, the minister said Kony has been left with a handful of pathetic fighters. “Kony has only between 300 to 400 combatants that are committing incursions in Pader, Kitgum and Apac,” he said.

Mbabazi also said Uganda could still benefit from a mandate of peace exercised by the Khartoum establishment.

“Bashir said the agreement could not be renewed because of a new government with another Constitution that may not be in line with that agreement. You know there is another arrangement between SPLM and Khartoum,” he said.

The former Sudan rebel group, the Sudanese People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) recently signed a peace pact with the Bashir government. Subsequently, the SPLM leader late Lt. Gen. John Garang was installed as the vice president. Garang died in a plane crash returning from a two-day consultation with the Ugandan president, Yoweri Museveni, early this month. The peace deal also indicated that the Sudanese would be subjected to a referendum five years after signing the peace deal to determine whether the black-dominated southern Sudan breaks away from the Arab ruled state or not.

Mbabazi said Uganda would recall her forces currently operating in southern Sudan after talks with Bashir.

“I am due to travel to Sudan, and we are going to discuss that. But am sure immediately after the talks they (UPDF) are coming back,” he revealed but declined to state the number of troops currently holed up in Sudan.

Mbabazi pointed out that the “Khartoum regime has declared Kony not only an enemy and terrorist of Uganda, but also an enemy of Sudan because the LRA leader has started attacking the Sudanese and the SPLA facilities“.

In the same meeting, the Ministry of Defence officials asked the Defence committee members to consider their proposal for a budget of shs 349 billion for financial year 2005/06, which is two billion in excess compared to that of the last financial year.

Mbabazi said the hefty defence spending would enable UPDF eliminate “the remaining insurgency”, automate the human resource, standardize the motor vehicles, strengthen the human resource and implement the UPDF Act, which is yet to be assented by the president. The UPDF Act would lead to restructuring of the Army departments.

The Defence minister also said the auxiliary forces, which have been instrumental in fighting Kony in northern and eastern Uganda would be incorporated in police and UPDF to avert unnecessary expenditure.

“About 4000 members of the auxiliary forces that meet the required qualifications will be recruited in police. Some of the remaining will be trained and taken by UPDF and the rest will be demobilized with a resettlement package,” Mbabazi said.

Previously, MPs have quizzed the Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Finance for failing to settle arrears of the auxiliary forces. The Defence Committee chairman said shs 14 billion is outstanding in arrears.

The Defence budget will also cater for the disarmament of pastoralists and those with illegal fire arms. Three billion shillings has been earmarked for the exercise.

Mbabazi said Defence ministers from Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania would handle the disarmament exercise at a regional level. “As the chairman of IGAD, I will table this issue at the next IGAD conference,” he said.