Museveni Shuffles Northern Command

President Yoweri Museveni has reshuffled commanders of the estimated 30 UPDF battalions involved in the anti-Kony rebel offensive in southern Sudan and northern Uganda, military sources said yesterday.Emmy Allio reports that the new battalion commanders for the offensive code-named “Operation Iron Fist” are scheduled to meet the Commander-in-Chief today at the State House, Nakasero. Several of the long-serving field commanders have been sent on one-month leave and many new officers have been appointed to replace them, the sources said.Among the several new faces are the former commandant of the Presidential Protection Unit (PPU), Major Moses Rwakitarate, and former 1st Division Political Commissar, Major Michael Odonga.Under the changes, Odonga becomes the commander of the 15th battalion while Rwakitarake takes the 39th.Until last weekend, Rwakitarake was the commander in-charge of the Joint Security Unit (JSU), a specialised unit comprising members of all security organisations and based at Entebbe International Airport. He took over JSU from Lt. Col. John Mugenyi who is now the operations commander in the office of the army commander.Army spokesman Major Shaban Bantariza would not confirm the reshuffle yesterday but said certain junior army officers were due to meet President Museveni.The reshuffle comes at a time when the army is reinforcing the units in the north to fight Kony rebels who have abandoned their hide-outs in the mountains of southern Sudan for northern Uganda. The rebels have recently staged attacks on civilians and the military. Several people have been abducted or killed and hundreds displaced.Ends