UGANDA, 20 DEC 2002 (10:30) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- MILITARY SPOKESMAN: "WE HAVE DEFEATED KONY'S REBELS" (STANDARD, GENERAL) The Ugandan armed forces (UPDF) is singing victory. The spokesman of the Chief of Staff, Shaban Bantariza, in a recent statement in fact announced that the Iron Fist military operation, launched this year against the LRA (Lord's Resistance Army), resulted in the death of over 1,500 rebels. The deployment of Ugandan troops interested vast sectors of South Sudan where the Olum (as the rebels are called in the Acholi language) have their bases. Bantariza's announcement comes following a recent declaration of General James Kazini, armed forces chief, who publicly stated that if the rebels were not entirely defeated in the North by the end of the year he would resign. According to Bantariza, there is no reason for Commander Kazini to resign given to the success of the actions against the enemy. Meanwhile, civil society sources contacted by MISNA expressed concern over the complexity of the conflict scenario in the districts of Gulu, Kitgum and Pader, where the armed movement has for years struck out at the local population. The main objective of the rebels are the youths. They boys are forced to join the LRA lines and the girls are savagely enslaved as carriers or concubines. In many cases the girls are also forced to combat. The ambushes along the main roads of the region are countless, according to the same sources, that consider Bantariza's declarations "exaggerated" in respect to the "actual situation on the field". The Olum move in small groups and can freely cross the border between Uganda and Sudan. While there is a haze of mystery around the leader of the LRA, Joseph Kony, a crazy visionary responsible in first person for the disasters perpetrated by his men against civilians. It appears that he is hidden in a secret location in South Sudan, from where he continues commanding his men, estimated to count between 1,500-2000. "While the Olum remain a general disaster for the people, the Ugandan government troops complete the circle by beating, arresting and sometimes killing anyone suspected of connections to the ISNA a representative of the Ugandan civil society, who will remain anonymous for evident security reasons. (BO) ____________________________________________________________________________ __ M E D I O N, denn Qualit�t ist geiler: Multimedia-PC P4 2.4 nur 969,- Ein Angebot der Mempag Electronic http://www.mempag.de/xmas2.php
