Ugandan rebels to end soon: senior official

KAMPALA, May 17, 2004 (Xinhua) — Ugandan State Minister for Security Betty Akech has said the war against the rebel Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) is soon coming to an end.
She told the Radio Mega in the country’s northern district of Gulu recently that efforts of the government forces, the Uganda People’s Defense Forces (UPDF), and the local militia will soon bring positive results.

Her predication, she said, is based on the current trend in which many of rebel field commanders and long serving fighters are surrendering and returning home.

The rebels led by Joseph Kony would soon get weakened considering the current support from the Sudanese militia fighting along the UPDF, she said.

She called on Kony to surrender in order to save his life and that of many innocent children he is holding captive.

The state minister recently visited some camps for internally displaced people in war-torn northern Uganda.

Recently 60 rebel commanders and fighters surrendered to the government army.

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

But the rebels have killed tens of thousands of civilians, abducted over 20,000 children as their porters, fighters and sex slaves and displaced more than 1.6 million people, most of whom are from the Acholi tribe.

Since March the government forces have been pursuing the rebels in the southern Sudan to flush them out after securing a green light from the Khartoum government.