Bush Joins War Against Kony's LRA
THE EASTAFRICAN
THE UNITED States is giving military assistance to the Ugandan government in its war against the Lord�s Resistance Army (LRA), a Washington newspaper reported last week.
The Bush administration decided to join the fight against the LRA partly out of gratitude to President Yoweri Museveni for his support of the American invasion of Iraq, The Washington Times said, quoting unnamed US officials.
Under an agreement reached two months ago, the US assistance to Uganda involves satellite photography and other electronic surveillance, the Times reported in its October 24 edition. American forces will play no direct role in the military campaign against the LRA, the paper added.
"Instead of using American soldiers, we are using American dollars and American technology," an anonymous US official is quoted as saying in the Times� dispatch from Kampala.
The Pentagon did not respond to requests for comment by the time of going to press.
The deal was reportedly clinched when General Charles Wald, deputy chief of the US European Command, visited Uganda in August.
Presidents Bush and Museveni have also held two sets of talks in recent months � in Washington in June and at Entebbe in July.
With the State Department having designated the LRA as a terrorist organisation, the Bush administration is able to describe military aid to Uganda as part of its global war against terrorism.
President Bush announced in June that Uganda would share in a $100 million US counter-terrorism initiative focused on East Africa. US officials have not specified how the money will be spent or how much will go to each of five recipient countries.
US Ambassador to Uganda Jimmy Kolker reportedly said in July that Washington was committed to helping put an end to the LRA�s insurgency. He also indicated that the US had restored a programme of military education and training for the Uganda People's Defence Force (UPDF). That form of aid is valued at $200,000 a year.
US military support for Uganda was suspended in 1999 because of Washington's objections to Uganda�s invasion in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
During the past year, President Museveni has taken the US�s side on a number of international controversies.
Uganda was one of only a few African states to give outright endorsement to the US intervention in Iraq. And Uganda reportedly offered in August to send troops to Iraq if authorised by the United Nations.
Uganda has also signed an agreement giving US citizens on its territory immunity from prosecution by the International Criminal Court.
On the economic front, President Museveni reportedly instructed the Ugandan delegation to align with the United States on contentious issues at the global trade talks held recently in Cancun, Mexico.
As another sign of the close ties between the two countries, Uganda ranks as the third-leading sub-Saharan recipient of US development aid, which amounts to about $62 million this year.
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