|
KAMPALA - The Sudan government has renewed the protocol allowing Ugandan forces to operate in southern Sudan to fight rebels of the Lord’s Resistance Army.
The new agreement was signed on Sunday in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum where Uganda's Defence Minister, Amama Mbabazi led a high-ranking delegation. Uganda backed the anti Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) opposed to Khartoum and Sudan backed the LRA in the early 1990s.
A communiqué, signed by Mbabazi and the Sudanese Defence Minister, Maj. Gen. Bakri Hassan Salih, stressed the desire "of enhancing mutual understanding between the two countries."
"Under the new era of the peace achieved in the area, the two parties agreed to extend the period of the protocol between the government of Sudan and the Government of Uganda to June 30, 2005," the communiqué said.
The first agreement allowing UPDF to enter Sudan was signed in March 2003 and has been r
enewed
several times since. UPDF forces in southern Sudan have achieved little in the past two years.
The Army Spokesman, Maj. Shaban Bantariza, said the UPDF has reduced the LRA, which was in thousands to hundreds over the last two years.
"Today the LRA in Sudan has between 150 and 200 fighters and in Uganda between 50 and 100. When we went to Sudan these fellows were in thousands," Bantariza said yesterday by telephone.
He said the LRA leader, Joseph Kony "is between Acholi Bur and Nisitu in Southern Sudan.
"They have probably learnt of this protocol so they are trying to cross the red line and come back to Uganda to ask for another ceasefire," Bantariza said.
Please do not ask us to give it to them because last time they used it as a lease for life to unearth arms and carry out attacks," he said.
The LRA, which has its major bases in southern Sudan, has been fighting the government since 1988.
Things that wanna make you say hmmmm!! If the LRA has it's bases in Southern Sudan...... and at most, according to Bantarazi there are only 150-200 rebels remainding in "LRA" camps in the Sudan, is the UPDF telling Ugandans and members of the International Commuinty that with over 40,000 armed men of the UPDF and heavy fire power ( including tanks, Mambas, APC, Helicopter gunships, Bazookas e.t.c) the UPDF CANNOT defeat this said "rebels" ? and this is the mighty UPDF we have been lead to believe! Bantarazi Twale Eri Yoko Yoko! Olinba Ani Gwe!!!
Matek
Kony and his four top commanders are being investigated by the International Criminal Court for possible crimes against humanity.
| 
