Uganda launches two local militias in north

KAMPALA, April 27, 2004 (New Vision) — Defence State Minister Ruth Nankabirwa on Saturday, 24 April passed out 2,845 local militia that will beef up the fight against the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebels.

The Kitgum Frontier Guards and Pader Mig Stream Guards are part of the Local Defence Forces Units helping the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) fight the LRA rebels. “The LRA war is soon coming to an end. We still need cooperation from the local people, the army and the entire population to fight the terrorists.

Kitgum still needs to recruit more forces to meet the targeted number of 5,000,” Nankabirwa said. She said the UPDF needed morale-boosting to be effective. “You will not be taken to Sudan. You will be deployed in your respective subcounties to guard the displaced people’s camps, schools, trading centres and the roads from LRA attacks,” she said.

The army commander, Maj-Gen Aronda Nyakairima, northern intelligence chief Lt-Col Charles Otema-Awany, Kitgum resident district commissioner Lt Santo Okot-Lapolo, LC5 chairman Nahaman Ojwee and several district officials attended the pass out.

Nankabirwa said the militia were LDUs and would be absorbed into the local police forces.

Nyakairima urged the militia to be committed to their work.