By Dennis Ojwee
BLOOD is thicker than waterâ€”yes but not to rebel chief Joseph Kony.
His Lordâ€™s Resistance Army (LRA) rebels on Sunday evening killed Fabio Okello also known as Oola, Konyâ€™s elder brother.

Okello was a few days ago abducted from Wii-Aceng Primary School, where he was a teacher, and murdered in the bushes of Bar-Alimo village, Odek sub-county in Omoro county, east of Gulu town.

The rebels are said to have begun implementing Konyâ€™s recent order to his commanders in northern Uganda to kill Acholi en masse, beginning with the residents of Konyâ€™s own village of Palaro-Agweng-tina, Odek sub-county.

Kony, who has been declared a terrorist by the US government and Ugandaâ€™s most wanted man, is said to be bitter that the Acholi have refused to support his 16-year campaign of terror.

The UPDF spokesman in the north, Lt. Paddy Ankunda, said yesterday that the army was pursuing the rebels at the time they killed Okello.

Ankunda said the UPDF rescued four captives from the rebels at Alero in Nwoya county during the clashes.

He said the army also freed two other captives from Lamin-Cwida in Puranga sub-county, Pader district, in another encounter the same evening.

Ankunda said the rebels also killed four people in an ambush at Okinga, Atanga sub-county, Aruu county, about 72km on the Gulu-Kitgum Road in Pader.

Their vehicle, a Nissan pick-up truck UAD 750D, was ambushed at about 4:30pm on Saturday evening at Okinga.

This was the spot where an Otada Company bus was attacked on November 12, killing 12 passengers and injuring 18 others.

Two of the victims of the Saturday attack were identified as the driver, Robert, and his helper, Okello. The other two unnamed passengers died soon after admission to Kitgum Hospital.

Ankunda said, â€œThe vehicle was ambushed. Four passengers were killed; our forces (UPDF) were pursuing the rebels.â€

He said the UPDF over the weekend also killed one LRA commander and injured another identified only as Odomi. His rank was not disclosed.

Ankunda said the rebels were carrying the LRA dead commander using a makeshift stretcher.

â€œWe are convinced that he must be a commander because the rebels do not carry bodies of ordinary fighters who get killed in battles,â€ Ankunda said.

The fighting took place at Labongo-Olung in Pader district. Recently UPDF also killed LRA commander Ogik at Bar-Olam in Lalogi, Gulu.

Kony rebels have waged a vicious campaign against the government of President Yoweri Museveni, unleashing unimaginable atrocities on mostly civilian targets.

Thousands of people have been killed or displaced and the regionâ€™s economy is devastated.
Ends

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