Ugandan rebels attempt to rally Congo insurgents

April 3, 2006 (KAMPALA) — Joseph Kony, the commander of the Ugandan Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebels, is using his presence in the Garamba National Park in the DRCongo not only to hide but to make fresh alliances to ensure his survival, reported the Kampala based New Vision.

The Congolese Revolution Movement (MRC) rebels in Congo’s Ituri region yesterday said the LRA had approached its leaders asking for cooperation. MRC rebels, now battling the UN Observer Mission in Congo and the Congolese army, said an LRA officer who identified himself as Shaban telephoned MRC’s chief of staff Col Mathieu Gunjolo on Monday 27 March.

“LRA is asking for our troops to merge in exchange for arms and ammunition. They (LRA) are also worried that MRC is still sympathetic to Uganda and asking us not to have anything to do with Uganda,” said Justin Lobho, MRC’s spokesman.

But MRC has turned down LRA’s offer. Lobho said, “We cannot ally with a terrorist group like LRA which has no cause for its war. Unlike LRA, we are a pro-people group with a cause.”

The UPDF says Kony has ordered his chiefs in Sudan and Uganda to gather his fighters and bring them to Congo. “Kony has also ordered for unearthing of arms buried in various areas in Sudan,” said UPDF’s northern region spokesman, Lt Chris Magezi. The task of unearthing of arms has been assigned to Commander Lapal-Piny.

Sources said about 70 of the fugitives who escaped from Arua Prison in February and entered Congo completed a two-week training programme with the LRA in Garamba.

(New Vision)