Uganda, DRC in rebel arms talks By Grace Matsiko June 4, 2004 KAMPALA - Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are engaged in negotiations on how to dispose of about 2.5 tonnes of arms, Sudan government supplied to Ugandan rebels based there. The arms, were supplied to Col.
Taban Amin, son to the late Ugandan President, Idi Amin before Uganda and Sudan signed a peace agreement in Nairobi, Kenya on December 8, 1999. In the agreement the two countries renounced sponsoring or harboring any rebel group fighting to destabilise each others country. The two countries had accused each other of sponsoring and training each otherâs enemies. A senior security source said this week that Ugandan high-level delegations have been to Kinshasa to discuss with President Joseph Kabila the possible disposal of the arms. âUgandaâs concern is that if these arms are not immediately disposed off, they may land in the hands of rogue elements through black market, which can also be another source of instabilityâ the source said. Ugandaâs Defence minister, Amama Mbabazi, acting Foreign Affairs minister, Tom Butime and the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence, Col. Noble Mayombo are some of the officials tasked by President Museveni to pursue the arms issue with DRC government, the source said. Butime on Wednesday declined to discuss the matter saying it was of sensitive nature. âI canât let you know as of now. I canât give you an answerâ Butime said emphatically. Mbabazi and Mayombo could not be got for a comment. Defence and army spokesman, Maj. Shaban Bantariza said he was not aware of the arms negotiations but promised to crosscheck the facts. But a source said that DRC government on the request of Uganda recently sent the detail specifications of the recovered arms and a proposal by the DRC on how to get rid of them. âDRC wants to hand over the arms to the United Nations, but we are negotiating with the DRC authorities on how the disposal can be expedite and our involvement at every stage so that our security interests are not compromisedâ the source added. The United Nations Mission in the Congo (MONUC) handled the repatriation of over 1500 fighters under Col. Taban Amin. Amin has joined Internal Security Organisation (ISO). The security source said that among the weapons under the DRC custody include shoulder held missiles, bazooka, anti-aircraft guns, mines, Rocket Propelled Guns, Self-propelled artillery pieces, missile launchers, grenades, Light Machine Guns (LMGs) and Sub-Machine Guns. According to security, Taban first worked with the defunct West Nile Bank Front (WNBF) of Gen. Ali Bamuze and the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) under Sheikh Jamil Mukulu before he took advantage of the Amnesty Law and gave up fighting. Â 2004 The Monitor Publications -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------- This service is hosted on the Infocom network http://www.infocom.co.ug
