Museveni warns Khartoum against supporting LRA rebels
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By Julius N. Uma
May 1, 2012 (GULU) - Ugandan president, Yoweri Museveni on Tuesday
warned Sudan after the publication of allegations that Khartoum has
resumed its support for the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), a notorious
rebel group that has terrorized the populations in Uganda and
neighbouring nations for decades.
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President of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni (AFP)
“Some newspapers the other day reported that Sudan is arming Kony to
come and fight us [Uganda]. Whatever arms Sudan gives Kony, we shall
still defeat him,” Museveni said.
“If it is true, then they must stop. We have an obligation to maintain
peace and stability in Uganda and any country trying to destabilize us
will not be spared,” he added.
Museveni was speaking during celebrations to mark international Labor
Day, which was officially hosted by the northern Ugandan district of
Gulu.
Relations between Uganda and Sudan had steadily improved, given that
in the past the two countries, accused each other of backing rebel
movements opposed to regimes in one another’s country.
However, recently relations have worsened. On 16 April at a public
address Museveni said the attitude towards ethnicity, culture and
religion from Khartoum is a prime example of how not to manage
diversity in Africa.
On 20 April Uganda announced it would intervene if full-scale war
occurs between Juba and Khartoum.
Now South Sudan is calling upon the regional bloc - Intergovernmental
Authority on Development (IGAD) to take over the mediation of talks to
end hostilities between Juba and Khartoum. Uganda is a key player in
IGAD and it is therefore likely to be seen as biased by Khartoum. Juba
believes that the current mediation, carried out by the African Union
(AU), is biased in favour of Khartoum.
Museveni said intelligence reports from the army indicate the LRA have
started regrouping and were planning a major offensive in Uganda from
neighbouring countries. He said the Ugandan army remains on full
alert, in order to avert attacks on the country’s territory.
Aronda Nyaikarima, the Ugandan army commander said his country does
not rule out the possibility of sending troops to fight alongside
South Sudan, saying their mission will be in pursuit of the LRA whom
they claim could be fighting alongside the Sudanese army.
The United Nations and the AU recently launched a joint military
operation aimed at hunting down Joseph Kony, the elusive LRA leader.
The newly established unit will be comprised of 5,000 soldiers from
Uganda, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Central
African Republic. These are countries known to have been the most
affected by more than two decades of LRA insurgency.
Formed in Uganda in the late 1980s, the notorious LRA rebels have, for
over 15 years, been the scourge of the region. Following regional
armies’ offensives the LRA moved to neighbouring countries and killed,
abducted and displaced thousands of people.
(ST)
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