Jeje Blasts Kazini On DRC

Aug 09, 2001

ARMY Commander Major General Jeje Odongo yesterday blamed Chief of Staff Brigadier James Kazini for meddling in Congolese affairs contrary to a presidential directive.

By Alfred Wasike ARMY Commander Major General Jeje Odongo yesterday blamed Chief of Staff Brigadier James Kazini for meddling in Congolese affairs contrary to a presidential directive. Kazini was the commanding officer of the operation to destroy the Sudan-backed ADF and other rebel bases in the DRC. It was code-named Operation Safe Haven. Odongo, 47, was appearing before the Justice David Porter commission, which is probing reports that the UPDF pillaged Congo resources. He was representing the UPDF. The allegations were made on April 6, 2001 by a UN panel report. Odongo told the commission yesterday that the UPDF High Command, chaired by President Museveni, summoned and reprimanded Kazini for the offence. Odongo said Museveni had directed all officers and men not to engage in business or meddle in the administration of the war-torn country. Odongo said Museveni sent the order to him, Kazini, the state defence minister and all army units on December 15, 1998. He said Kazini defied the orders and appointed a governor, Lotsove Adelle Mugisa, for Ituri Province on June 18, 1999. The UN report blamed the UPDF, Rwanda Patriotic Army (RPA) and other armed groups for alleged massive plundering of the Congo in the guise of fighting Ugandan rebels there. Odongo said, “It was not with my express authority. It was not right for him to appoint her. But in a High Command meeting, the matter came up. He was told not to get involved in the administration of the DRC. He was reprimanded for the action.” But the commission was riled that Kazini was just “reprimanded” for defying orders. Porter said, “But this was a straight breach of directives. It sounds like a mere pat on the wrist. Sounds like ‘don’t be a naughty boy’. But Uganda was open to criticism for sending troops to the Congo. Then there were top UPDF commanders getting involved in the local administration. It was very embarrassing. Wasn’t it?” Odongo said Kazini was also in charge of the aircraft chartered by the defence ministry to fly troops and equipment to and from the DRC. Odongo held a UPDF officer, Major Musinguzi Katafiire, accountable for supervising the flights out of the Entebbe airbase during the operation. He was responding to criticism from the probe that the system of charter used by the UPDF was abused and that it did not guarantee security of the army. Odongo said Uganda first got involved in the DR Congo in 1997 with the consent of the DR Congo government. He said the involvement was for “the purpose of securing her common border from destabilisation by the Sudan-based ADF rebels in the DRC.” He regretted the UPDF/RPA clashes in Kisangani between August 1999 and June 2000 and blamed them on “political differences between the governments of Uganda and Rwanda.” He said when he received the UN report, he summoned the individual officers implicated by the report. Major General Salim Saleh, Kazini, Tinkamanyire, Col Otafiire, Col Mugyenyi, and Lt Col Noble Mayombo were among the officers who denied the allegations levelled against them in the panel report. See verbatim on National Ends

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