UPDF seize sh3.5b Kony arms

By Emmy AllioTHE UPDF has captured a large cache of arms from Kony rebels in southern Sudan.The defence minister Amama Mbabazi yesterday briefed the Cabinet on the progress of the operation in Sudan and presented a list of the captured arms, which were estimated to be worth sh3.5b.The arms were captured last Friday. Some five rebel camps have been overrun by the UPDF.“The value of the arms reflect the value of the operation. Any army that loses such a quantity of arms loses half its strength,” army spokesman Major Shaban Bantariza said yesterday.Arms captured include seven 60mm mortars, two 12.7mm Katyusha, 150 sub-machine guns (SMG’s) and 63 boxes of ammunition, 21 landmines, 26 hand grenades, 213 boxes of 82mm bombs, ten 107mm (Katyusha) bombs, G2 machine guns, G3 rifles and anti-personnel mines. Also captured were three Toyota Landcruisers, one motorcycle, seven sewing machines, three bicycles and a large quantity of food that could feed the 6,000 rebels and captives for six months.“The capture of these items now opens phase two of the war that will involve pursuing and smoking out the lightly armed rebels from their hiding,” Bantariza said.He said, “Without more foreign support and no time to settle to cultivate, Kony is almost finished.” Mbabazi over the weekend said the army had overrun Kony’s camps at Lara, Orek, Rwot Kempaco, Lubangatek and Bin Rwot, about 90km from the Uganda border. Mbabazi said Kony’s force had moved to the south of Juba. The Sudanese army has sealed the northern exit route, forcing Kony to flee to the SPLA controlled areas. SPLA has allowed the UPDF to get him there.