Mbabazi at frontline

Defence minister Amama Mbabazi at the weekend visited UPDF soldiers in northern Uganda and southern Sudan to assess the progress of the anti-Kony operation.Emmy Allio quotes sources as saying that Mbabazi landed by a helicopter at the UPDF operational headquarters in Magwi, 100km inside Sudan and met the commander of the anti-Kony operation, Brig. Nyakairima Aronda. Mbabazi also visited several operation areas at Uganda-Sudan border. His military assistant, Shaban Bantariza, yesterday confirmed the minister’s visit to the north but would not give details.“He is touring operation areas to assess the performance of the forces on the ground. This will equip him to explain to the Government and Parliament the progress on the ground,” Bantariza said.Sources said the UPDF operation has faced problems after Kony split his force into smaller units which are “extremely mobile” in the mountainous terrain of southern Sudan. The army is yet to announce any progress as far as rescuing any of the estimated 6,000 children in Kony’s captivity.