Army Recruits 1,300 LDUs to Fight PRA
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New Vision (Kampala)
February 12, 2005
Posted to the web February 14, 2005
Frank Mugabi
Kampala
THE army has recruited 1,300 local defence unit guards to beef up security against suspected People's Redemption Army (PRA) rebels in West Nile.
The force is part of the West Nile Taskforce, a local militia group. President Yoweri Museveni ordered the creation of the militia after the army arrested several PRA suspects and arms in the region last November. First deputy premier and minister for disaster preparedness Lt. Gen. Moses Ali asked Museveni last year to establish the militia similar to those in Teso and Acholi regions to guard the southern Sudan and DR Congo borders. Moses Ali is also the chairman of West Nile MPs.
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The recruitment took place concurrently in Arua and Nebbi districts on Thursday.
West Nile military spokesman Lt. Anech Mubangizi said 400 units were recruited in Yumbe, 100 in Maracha and 200 in Koboko. Some 200 are yet to be recruited in Moyo district.
"The intention is to replenish the battalion here but the ultimate target is to have three battalions in this region," Mubangizi said.
He said they would undergo a six-month military training in Gulu before deployment.
Mubangizi said between last November and this February, the army had captured many weapons suspected to belong to PRA suspects in the region.
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The security secretary Arua, Francis Draga, said, "We are impressed with the turnup of our sons and we encourage them to only join forces that recruit while everybody is witnessing and not in darkness."
He advised over 300 youths who missed the Thursday recruitment at Arua Police Grounds to turn up for the UPDF recruitment on February 17 at the same venue.
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