Army Kills Rebel Chief

May 18, 2004

The UPDF in Pader district in northern Uganda on Monday said it killed Col. Onen Kamdulu, the director of operations of the Lord’s Resistance Army rebels.

By A. Mao, E. Allio and C. Ochuwum
The UPDF in Pader district in northern Uganda on Monday said it killed Col. Onen Kamdulu, the director of operations of the Lord’s Resistance Army rebels.

In another development, another LRA major on Monday defected with 76 fighters to the UPDF at Pajule detachment in Aruu county, Pader district.

Okot also surrendered with 22 rifles, three anti-personnel mines and four hand grenades. The UPDF 5th Division commander, Lt. Col. George Etyang, received them.

Okot’s defection comes only days after LRA Major Ochama surrendered with 30 fighters and nine rifles on April 30. Another LRA officer, Maj. Charles Abola, also surrendered recently with 28 fighters and 10 rifles.

Commenting on the frequent surrenders, Ankunda said, “It is because of too much pressure on them. Many of them are saying their senior commanders cannot surrender
because of the fear of facing the wrath of the population in the north.”

The army said Onen Kamdulu’s death would bring relief to the people of northern Uganda.

“Onen was a high value target. He has since 1996 led raids on villages, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of civilians,” the northern army spokesman, Lt. Paddy Ankunda, said yesterday.

Lt. Col. Peter Elwelu, the 301 Brigade commander in Patongo, said they attacked Onen’s group at around 8:00am.

“Onen had about 50 combatants whom he wanted to link up with another rebel commander, John Opio, but my forces ambushed him early in the morning and killed him on the spot,” Elwelu said.

Journalists were flown to Patongo army barracks where Kamdulu’s body lay.

“We are sad we have lost him. we earlier on called him to come out under the amnesty Act but he refused,” Etyang said at Patongo.

“The demise of Kamdulu makes Kony more vulnerable to the UPDF than ever before,” he said.

“Otti and Odhiambo, among others, have remained alone. It will now be easier to destroy them. Our target now is notorious commander Odhiambo,” the elated Etyang added. He said killing a member of the LRA high command was not easy.

Meanwhile, Emmy Allio reports that UPDF soldiers in southern Sudan on Monday evening killed 54 LRA rebels in a clash involving over 250 rebel fighters, the army said yesterday.
The army said the rebels under the command of Odhiambo, Lakonyi and Lapolo, were due to cross the redline to join their leader, Joseph Kony at Lubanga-tek, his former headquarters which is located inside a territory under the control of the Sudan People’s Armed Forces.

Odhiambo, who led the rebels during the Barlonyo massacres is said to have fled, leaving behind a large quantity of sorghum and other assorted food stuffs looted from Kurmus, north of SPLA-controlled Magwi. The UPDF attack was led by Lt. Col. Sam Kiwanuka, the overall UPDF operations commander in southern Sudan.

Army spokesman Maj. Shaban Bantariza said the battle near Bin Rwot village was the most successful, since the army recently re-entered Sudan in a mission to occupy former sanctuaries of the rebels.

“We were always suspicious that Sudan government troops would not block entry of the rebels above the redline. Now Kony is out of our control. We appeal to Sudan to catch him,” he said.

Under the protocol between Khartoum and Kampala authorities, former LRA headquarters at Lubanga-tek are supposed to be occupied by the SPAF.

Bantariza said the battle on the road to Jabuleni involved both ground and air assault, which he said left more uncounted bodies.
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