Army Marks 20 Years Of NRA

CELEBRATIONS will today be held to mark 20 years since the founding of the National Resistance Army (NRA), now the UPDF, reports Grace Matsiko. Representatives from 10 countries have been invited for the celebrations at Bombo Army headquarters to be presided over by President Yoweri Museveni. Neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo was not expected, but her ally, Angola is expected. The UPDF Director of information and Public Relations officer, Shaban Bantariza, said, "Tarehe Sita or the Sixth of February, is the birthday of the NRA, founded on February 6, 1981." He said, "We are celebrating two decades of the founding of the army. But the most important thing is that the UPDF is apolitical military force," Bantariza said. In Jinja, the troops at the Gaddaffi Garrison will hold a procession of about 300 soldiers to celebrate the day. Among the celebrates will be 60 military instructors recently promoted to non-commissioned officers. Bantariza said the army celebrates the day because it fought a war in a record time of five years and captured power in 1986. Ends