UGANDA, South Sudan and DR Congo yesterday morning jointly attacked Joseph Kony’s rebels hiding in Garamaba forest. The massive attack on Kony’s bases in the jungles located in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo has the backing of the American government and other Western powers.
The joint force is made up of the UPDF, the Congolese FARDC and the Southern Sudanese SPLA.
“The three armed forces successfully attacked the main body and destroyed the main camp of Kony code-named Camp Swahili, setting it on fire,” a brief statement from the UPDF explained.
By press time, Kony’s whereabouts were not known.
For the last 20 years, the LRA rebels have terrorised northern Uganda, southern Sudan and Congo, killing and maiming thousands of people.
“Military operations against these terrorists are continuing and more details about the operation will be released as it progresses,” the statement added.
It was jointly signed by the three chiefs of military intelligence; Brig. James Mugira (UPDF), Brig. Mutual Majok (SPLA) and Brig. Deodenne Kitenge (FARDC).
An air force, paratroopers and the infantry backed the operation, which started at 11:00am. The forces and military hardware were airlifted to the war-zone over the last two days.
The first target was Kony’s main camp nestled in the densely forested Garamba National Park, a three-hour walk from Ri-Kwangba on the Congo-Sudan boarder where the rebels were supposed to assemble under the August 2006 truce. The camp is at the foot of a flat-topped hill, which is embraced by rocks, leaving one entrance.
In West Nile, which borders Sudan and Congo, the army was on standby. Security along the border was tightened.
The army spokesman in the area, Capt. Robert Kamara, refused to comment on the Garamba assault.
“I don’t know what is happening in Garamba but what I know is that our borders are safe. We cannot allow anybody to come and destabilise our peace,” Kamara said.
In northern Uganda, where residents bore the brunt of the two-decade rebellion, the army assured the population that the rebels would not cross back.
“Our deployments along the borders with DR Congo and Sudan are intact and there is no cause for alarm,” the 4th Division army spokesman, Capt. Ronald Kakurungu, said.
He explained that internally displaced people (IDPs) and those who have returned to their homes would be safe during the Christmas season.
“We are not going to allow any kind of insecurity to rise in this area again,” Akiiki said.
The Government offered Kony amnesty through the peace talks that started on July 14, 2006 in Juba, South Sudan.
However, the talks dragged on when the LRA repeatedly failed to sign the final peace agreement, citing indictments against its top commanders by the International Criminal Court. On November 29 and 30, Kony kept mediators and diplomats waiting for two days at Nabanga in Sudan.
He did not show up to sign the agreement, insisting that the ICC indictments must be dropped.
His latest demand was that he wanted to talk to President Museveni directly. The leader of the LRA peace team, David Matsanga and the chief mediator, Dr Riek Machar, presented the request to Museveni.
In June, Museveni passed out soldiers of the 11th and 45th battalions who had completed combat training in joint fighting skills supported by the air force.
The drills, conducted at Bondo about 25km from Arua town, involved helicopter gunships and other warplanes.
On that occasion, Museveni warned that Kony would be safer signing the final agreement.
Chronology of the peace talks
Bigombe Talks: 1993-94, 2004-2005
June 1993: Bigombe initiated contact with rebel leader, Joseph Kony.
February 1994: Bigombe talks with Kony collapsed. Soon afterward the insurgency intensified.
February 2004: Following the Barlonyo massacre, Bigombe took a leave of absence from the World Bank and flew to Uganda to attempt to restart the peace process.
From March 2004 to 2005: Bigombe was the chief mediator in a new peace initiative with the LRA, personally financing much of the logistics of bringing Ugandan government ministers and rebel leaders
April 20, 2005: The last meeting between Bigombe and the LRA fell through.
The Juba Peace
Talks 2006 - 2008
July 3, 2006: The Government chief negotiator, Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda and the president of South Sudan, Gen. Salva Kiir, announce the start of peace talks at a press conference in Juba
July 14 2006: Peace talks between Uganda Government and the LRA opened by South Sudan President Gen. Salva Kiir in Juba.
July 20: The chief mediator, Dr. Riek Machar, meets LRA delegates in a closed meeting together with Acholi leaders led by Rwot Achana to discuss the suffering of the people of northern Uganda.
July 29: LRA commanders led by deputy commander Vincent Otti and elders from northern Uganda and South Sudan met at the DR Congo — Sudan boarder.
August 2006
August 1: Kony reiterated his will to end the war through the Juba talks at a meeting of political, religious and civic leaders from the war-affected areas, held in Garamba forest.
August 9: The LRA walked out of the talks protesting the Government's refusal to declare cessation of hostilities.
August 13: LRA’s third in command Raska Lukwiya was killed by a UPDF mobile squad in Kitgum district.
August 24: LRA demanded cabinet posts and 30% representation on commissions, statutory bodies and presidential appointments as a condition for ending the war.
August 26: The Uganda Government and LRA signed the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (CHA).
September 2006
September 4: Delegates re-assembled in Juba for the third round of talks.
September 6: LRA revealed their reluctance to assemble at Owiny-Ki-Bul and Ri-Kwangba as demanded by the CHA.
September 7: Talks resumed and parties reviewed the performance of the CHA.
September 26: LRA suspended participation in the peace talks protesting alleged deployment of the UPDF in South Sudan and DRC.
October 2006
October 21: President Museveni arrived in Juba for talks with Kiir. He also addressed LRA delegates but they, led by deputy head of delegation Josephine Apira, rejected his handshake.
November 2006
November 1: Government and the LRA signed an addendum to CHA which gave the rebels one month to re-assemble and restricted unauthorised visitors to assembly areas.
November 11: UN Coordinator for Emergency Relief, Jan Egeland, met LRA rebel leader Joseph Kony and his deputy Vincent Otti in Ri-Kwangba. Egeland hoped to secure the release of women and children.
December 14, 2006: Delegates reconvened. The Government delegation was upbeat but the LRA insisted it would not talk until the UPDF pulls out of southern Sudan.
March 4, 2007 LRA delegates failed to show up at the Acholi peace conference held in Juba to revive the talks
March 11: Rugunda met LRA commanders Kony and Otti in the first-ever direct talks between the rebels and the Government. Organised by former Mozambican President Joaquim Chissano, the meeting aimed at reviving the stalled Juba talks.
April 2007
April 16: After meeting Chissano in the remote, secluded and forested village of Ri-Kwangba, the LRA rebels agreed to resume talks in Juba on April 26.
April 26: Talks resumed. Chissano warned the LRA that time was running out for them.
May 2007
May 2: The Government and LRA signed a pact, “The comprehensive solutions to the causes of the war”, outlining remedies to the causes of the war.
June 2007
June 13: The Government and LRA signed an agreement, the principles of accountability, stipulating the framework through which perpetrators of crimes during war will account and reconcile with the victims.
June 29: The agreement on reconciliation was signed. It provides for alternative traditional justice that could insulate four LRA commanders against the International Criminal Court prosecution.
On February 23, 2008: Government and the LRA concluded a permanent ceasefire agreement. The parties agreed that the peace talks would follow a five-stage negotiating framework: (1) cessation of hostilities; (2) comprehensive solutions to the conflict; (3) reconciliation and accountability; (4) formal ceasefire; and (5) disarmament and reintegration.
March 2008: The peace process stalled again as the LRA tabled fresh demands.
March 7, 2008: President Museveni meets Salva Kiir in Entebbe who expressed optimism that the LRA would sign the agreement.
April 14: Kony refused to turn up for the signing of the final pact.
May 2008: LRA envoys meet elders to discuss the stalled peace talks. The major issues on the table were the traditional justice system (mato oput) and the special division of High Court to be set up to try the rebels for war crimes.
November 29 and 30 2008: Leaders meet Kony in Garamba. Kony refuses to sign.
The worst LRA crimes
The most grisly massacres committed by the LRA were at:
Atiak in April 1995, where over 250 civilians were massacred.
The abducting of over 100 girls in Lalwa in Kaberamaido.
Barlonyo massacre took place on February 21 in which over 400 were killed.
Pabbo IDP killings spread over several months in 2004 where about 5,464 residents were killed and in some cases bodies cooked to instill fear among the populace.
The storming of St Marys College in Aboke, Apac district on October 10, 1996 from where 139 girls were taken captive and later 109 released.
In 2004, government referred the LRA rebellion to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for investigation.
The following year the ICC indicted LRA chief Kony and commanders Okot Odhiambo, Dominic Ongwen, Vincent Otti, Raska Lukwiya and Charles Tabuley.
Otti was reportedly killed at the orders of Kony while Lukwiya and Charles Tabuley died in battle in the North and Teso respectively.
In July 2005, the ICC issued international arrest warrants for the wanted LRA commanders. The warrants have been a subject of a great deal of discussion at the talks and by stakeholders with the LRA claiming they are a stumbling block to the agreement.
