MPs Want LRA Arms Retained

By Cyprian MusokeMEMBERS of Parliament want the Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF) to retain all weaponry captured from the Lords Resistance Army (LRA) instead of forwarding it to the Sudanese government. Discussing the ministry of Defence policy statement at parliament on Wednesday, the MPs were irked to learn that under the Operation Iron Fist, equipment and other war materials worth sh3b were captured and handed over to Sudan. They wondered whether the agreement signed between the two governments included returning captured equipment to Sudan. “Can we ask, what could be the reason? Was there any agreement that whichever weapon is captured from kony should be handed over immediately? Why was the equipment handed over immediately since under normal circumstances, this is deemed to be enemy weaponry?” asked committee chairman Simon Mayende.The MPs wondered what the international community was doing to help Uganda in exterminating Kony, since the United States listed the LRA as a terrorist organisation.“We also need to know what the setbacks of the operation are. This, we cannot know unless we are informed. How many soldiers have we lost. It is possible that we have killed fewer than we have lost. This document only shows us the number killed,” said Samuel Abura (Matheniko).Mayende wondered why it was taking too long for the UPDF to achieve its target, yet the country has committed many equipped soldiers to the front. “What is the size of kony’s force? They tell us that they have reduced them by 300 men so far. So what kind of force is still remaining out there? Mayende asked.Ends