'LRA Near to Total Defeat'
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New Vision (Kampala)
November 22, 2002
Posted to the web November 22, 2002
Okello Jabweli, Hamis Kaheru & Joyce Namutebi
Kampala
PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni has said Kony rebels have suffered a thorough
beating and will be no more by next year.
"The LRA is on the verge of final and total defeat. Nothing will save them,"
the President said. "Only yesterday (Wednesday), after many losses, Kony and
his troops fled the Imatong mountains towards Jabeleine. It is now the
Sudanese to deal with him." Jabeleine, a Sudanese government controlled area,
is not in the orbit of UPDF's Operation Iron Fist in southern Sudan.
In a speech to Parliament yesterday, Museveni said the Government was finally
addressing the weaknesses that have enabled Kony and his rag-tag Lord's
Resistance Army (LRA) to thrive over the last 16 years.
Museveni's three-hour address was broadcast live on Radio Uganda.
He said the UPDF had done well against Kony terrorists during a difficult
part of the year (the rainy season when the grass is tall and movement is
difficult) and promised even better outcome once the dry season starts in
December.
"I don't think we shall hear from Kony next year - 2003," Museveni said.
He said Kony was able in the past to sneak in and out of the country to cause
havoc due to Sudan's continued support to him, the perennial under-spending
on defence and the poor road infrastructure in the north.
Museveni said the constant factor has been the difficult terrain in the
Acholi region. He said all the four problems were being addressed.
He said the UPDF's under-equipping was a big and an unnecessary mistake
because security is the basis of everything else.
"It is wrong to talk of poverty eradication and development and not talk of
security," he said.
He said he was building a strategic core of the UPDF capable of defending
Uganda from external aggression.
He said nobody should be worried about the force. "Unless you had plans to
invade Uganda, you shouldn't worry. It is mainly going to be a defensive
force," he said.
Museveni said the recent defence budget increment of US$26m would enable the
army plug some of its weaknesses, especially the lack of appropriate
equipment.
"This argument of too much defence expenditure is nonsense. It is not
acceptable and I don't want too hear it," Museveni said.
"In my language, we have a saying that many tongues spoil the porridge. We
need advice alright but somebody must be in charge. A country cannot be
everybody's business. That is not possible. Somebody must be answerable."
He supported his position with the late Mwalimu Julius Nyerere's philosophy
that being independent also entails the ability to make mistakes.
"There are elected leaders. If I make a decision, you my friend, whoever
you're you, must respect it. If I make mistakes, I will learn from them but
you can't have a situation where the country is everybody's business,"
Museveni said.
He dismissed claims that Sudan armed Kony and offered him a safe haven in
retaliation for Uganda's support of the SPLA.
Museveni said Uganda begun supporting the SPLA in 1988, two years after the
first batch of rebels supported by Sudan launched attacks on Uganda. "We
backed SPLA but that was long, long after the Sudan had attacked us. We
supplied the SPLA because we are not punch-bags. You hit us, we hit you. That
is the law of nature," he said.
Museveni said the insecurity in the north was a classic case of terrorism
supported by regional states against the people of Uganda.
Retracing the genesis of the war, Museveni said the conflict initially gained
ground in Acholiland due to unfounded fears that the NRA would retaliate
against the Acholi and Langi for the Luweero atrocities and the chauvinism
that had been sowed by colonialists.
"These lies were soon exposed because no Acholi or Langi were being harassed
either in Kampala or in the north," Museveni said.
He said the early Acholi rebel leaders like the late Brig. Odong Latek,
"priestess" Alice Lakwena and Angello Okello, were not terrorists. Museveni
said Kony introduced terrorist tactics like forced recruitment, civilian
killings and mutilations.
This KONY is like Hemorroid on Museveni's A@#!!!! Just when you think
Hemrroid is gone... BINGO it crips back on you once more... any way while
Yosweri Kaguta Mucenbeni is making his statements above the end of KONY
......meanwhile in GULU....
Rebels Ambush Truck Carrying Exam Answer Scripts
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New Vision (Kampala)
November 23, 2002
Posted to the web November 23, 2002
Dennis Ojwee
Kampala
THE Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebels on Thursday evening ambushed a
vehicle carrying the Aswa county Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) answer
scripts, killing a P.7. candidate.
The rebels did not tamper with the scripts. Two UPDF escorts injured in the
attack died on arrival at Paicho health centre near the army detachment where
they were rushed for treatment. Two others died later at night.
Gulu education chief Michael Ocan-Ongom said the scripts belonged to over 200
PLE candidates from Aswa county, north of Gulu town.
He said the scripts were kept overnight in Paicho under tight security by the
UPDF, and arrangements were yesterday being made to transport them to Gulu
town.
The driver, Richard Okwanga, and another soldier were injured. Okwanga was
shot in the leg when the rebels sprayed bullets at the truck.
Military sources quoting Okwanga said about seven rebels attacked the car
with machine-guns.
Fourth Division spokesman Lt. Paddy Ankunda said two soldiers sustained minor
injuries.
He said he had not got the information that the injured soldiers died.
Paicho military sources said the yellow Ministry of Education pick-up truck
UG 1062E was ambushed about 15 miles on the Gulu-Kitgum road.
Ocan-Ongom yesterday said the vehicle, attached to the Educational Assessment
Resource Services department, was transporting PLE scripts to Gulu Police
Station.
He said the situation was saved by UPDF escorts aboard another truck.
The rebels on November 13 grabbed question papers of UNEB Carpentry exam at
Porogali, Pader, and abducted the supervisor, David Adupa.
The papers were never recovered. The whereabouts of the teacher is also still
unknown.
Matek
