Sudanese government troops block Uganda’s rebels

KAMPALA, May 8, 2004 (Xinhua) — The Sudanese government troops in southern Sudan have blocked the advance northward of Uganda’s rebel Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), Ugandan newspaper New Vision reported Saturday.

The rebels led by Joseph Kony are now reportedly heading to their former camp in Lubanga-tek, which they abandoned in 2001 when the Ugandan government forces, Uganda People’s Defense Forces (UPDF), raided it.

UPDF spokesman Shaban Bantariza said “we have been hunting for them in Kit II valley, but they have avoided any contact with us. We have gathered information that they are trying to go the Lubanga-tek.”

Intelligence sources was quoted as saying that if the rebels reach there the UPDF will only reach there after passing through the territories separately controlled by the Sudanese government forces and the rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Army.

The LRA rebels want to return to Lubanga-tek to dig out arms they buried, said Bantariza.

The UPDF spokesman said the UPDF has got information that Kony has ordered one of his army commanders to collect food in northern Uganda and send it to southern Sudan.

Uganda and Sudan once accused each other of backing the anti- government forces and as a result Uganda severed its diplomatic relations with the Sudan in 1995. Sudan and Uganda signed a military protocol in 2002, allowing Uganda troops to operate in southern Sudan and rout the LRA rebels from inside Sudan.

The LRA rebels have been fighting 18-year-old war to topple the Ugandan government dominated by southerners, and claiming to fight for the Acholi tribe.

But the rebel have killed tens of thousands of civilians, abducted over 20,000 children as their porters, fighters and sex slaves and displaced more than 1.5 million people, most of whom are from Acholi tribe.

Since March this year the Ugandan government forces have been pursuing the rebels in southern Sudan after securing a green light from the Khartoum government.