UPDF Kill 23 LRA Rebels In Sudan

By Nathan Etengu PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni has said the UPDF recently crossed into Sudan and killed 23 rebels of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). Museveni said the LRA rebel leader, Joseph Kony, survived the UPDF attack and fled towards Juba. “In the north the other day, our forces entered into Sudan and put out of action 23 rebels of the Lords Resistance Army,” Museveni said. Museveni was yesterday passing out 235 officer cadets who had completed a nine-months training at the School of Infantry, Jinja. The Minister for Defence, Mr. Amama Mbabazi, State minister for Defence, Mrs. Ruth Nankabirwa and that for disaster preparedness, Christine Aporu Okol, were present as well as the deputy army commander, Brigadier Joram Mugume, the chief of personnel and training, Col. Benon Biraro, and the defence attaches from Britain, France, Kenya and Tanzania. Museveni said the army had done a commendable job in wiping out rebels in the west and northern Uganda. He said the ADF had been completely rooted out of the Rwenzori Mountains and that their leader, Kabanda, had fled to Butembo in the Democratic Republic of Congo. He said he was seeking an amendment in the Amnesty law so that anyone involved in terrorist acts is not granted amnesty. He said people go to bars, not for politics, but to drink and eat pork. “To kill people who are just eating pork, no, no, no,” we cannot allow that,” Museveni said amid laughter. He said since the army had either killed or arrested most of the rebels, time had come to arrest their leaders who were hiding in some countries. He said the entire world had resolved to end terrorism and it was therefore not good for some countries to harbour the rebels. He commended the UPDF 2nd Division for fighting against the ADF rebels and said the 4th Division was also doing well in northern Uganda. Museveni said the Police were also beginning to recover and had recently gunned down some robbers. “At least they are also beginning to resuscitate themselves,” he said, adding that he would soon discuss more about the Police with the Inspector General of Police, Major General Katumba Wamala. Museveni said he had directed the Ministry of Defence, the UPDF and its leadership to computerise the army. “We do not want a situation where someone is paid salary twice,” he said. He said plans were underway to construct housing units and training schools for the soldiers and schools for their children. He advised the graduands to be patriotic. Mugume advised the graduands to conduct themselves in an exemplary manner in order to enable the UPDF sustain the image it had built over time. Biraro advised them to desist from corruption. Ends