Is the PRA a threat to Uganda?
May 11, 2004
UGANDA Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF) spokesman Maj. Shaban Bantariza was recently quoted in the press saying the UPDF was ready beat rebels of the Peoples Redemption Army (PRA) said to be in Eastern DR Congo.
By Asuman Bisiika
UGANDA Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF) spokesman Maj. Shaban Bantariza was recently quoted in the press saying the UPDF was ready beat rebels of the Peoples Redemption Army (PRA) said to be in Eastern DR Congo.
Security agencies in Kampala have linked the PRA to Reform Agenda’s exiled chairman Kiiza Besigye and renegade UPDF Cols.
Anthony Kyakabale, Samson Mande and Edison Muzora.
Kyakabale and Mande have been exiled in Europe.
But does the PRA represent a threat to the security of Uganda? How does Eastern DR Congo factor in Uganda’s regional strategic policy?
Although the resolution of the civil war in the DR Congo made redundant the reasons for which several countries supported various rebels opposed to the Kinshasa government, Uganda’s withdrawal from Congo was not strategically orderly.
That is why Uganda no longer has strong contacts with any group in the coalition government in Kinshasa.
So, the lack of strong contacts with these groups affects the way Uganda’s strategic interests are addressed.
All the DRC regions bordering Uganda are under the governorship of members of the RCD-Goma. It should be understood that inspite of the relative cordial relationship between Kampala and Kigali, Rwanda remains of strategic importance to the security of Uganda.
The fact that all governors of the Congolese regions bordering Uganda’s entire western border are from the Kigali-allied RCD-Goma is of strategic concern to Uganda.
Given the big size of the DR Congo, all regional governors enjoy some kind of self-indulged autonomy and are said to involve themselves a great deal in security matters.
As things stand now, Uganda does not have contacts with any of the Congolese rebel groups it associated with during the war and yet DR Congo remains strategically important to Uganda’s security. That is why the Government wants to quickly re-establish diplomatic ties with DR Congo government. However, with the constraints that go with diplomatic relations in a coalition government, the establishment of mutual contacts with people like Jean Pierre Bemba and Mbusa Nyamwisi would have readily complemented the diplomatic efforts.
It is against this background that the threat by Ugandan rebels in Eastern Congo should be evaluated. A security operative in Kasese who is on the beat of rebels in Eastern DR Congo, says there are no new rebel deployments, but preparation for war by remnants of the ADF.
“Although we know there is a PRA presence in Ituri Forest, we do not have information about their deployments for operations,†says the source.
But does these rebels constitute a threat to the security of Uganda?
Last month, Maj. Gen. Aronda Nykairima, the UPDF Army Commander and Simon Mulongo, a senior External Security Organisation (ESO) official went to Kinshasa, where they discussed the issue of Ugandan rebels in Eastern Congo. According to a source in the know, the Congo government told Nyakairima that it was willing to dislodge the rebels but it lacked equipment and manpower.
So, the UPDF is said to be caught between sending manpower and giving equipment to the Congolese army to fight the rebels.
For fear of the negative diplomatic consequences, the Uganda government is reluctant to send troops back to Congo. The fact that the issue of the rebels was the subject of discussion between the UPDF Army Commander and top security officials in the Kinshasa government means that the rebels constitute a real security threat to Uganda
But are these rebels PRA or remnants of the ADF? According a source on the ground in Kasese, there is a presence of PRA in Ituri Forest but it is not active.
“The only troop movement of any rebels in eastern DR Congo is that of ADF. They have transferred some troops from their camps in Mwalika and Irengethi to fortify their camp at Bunduguya.
“Although you press people say that the rebels are poised to attack Uganda, intelligence information say that the rebels seem to be fortifying their camp in Bunduguya in anticipation of UPDF,†said the source.
Bunduguya is close to the Uganda border with DR Congo across Bundibugyo. It is also in easy reach for the PRA troops in Ituri Forest although the prospect of merging ADF and PRA are minimal. “The PRA made contacts with the ADF with the objective of merging forces. But they failed to agree on the structures of command and control. The immediate security threat is from ADF although PRA constitutes a long-term strategic threat to the security of Uganda,†said the source. Ends
UGANDA Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF) spokesman Maj. Shaban Bantariza was recently quoted in the press saying the UPDF was ready beat rebels of the Peoples Redemption Army (PRA) said to be in Eastern DR Congo.
Security agencies in Kampala have linked the PRA to Reform Agenda’s exiled chairman Kiiza Besigye and renegade UPDF Cols.
Anthony Kyakabale, Samson Mande and Edison Muzora.
Kyakabale and Mande have been exiled in Europe.
But does the PRA represent a threat to the security of Uganda? How does Eastern DR Congo factor in Uganda’s regional strategic policy?
Although the resolution of the civil war in the DR Congo made redundant the reasons for which several countries supported various rebels opposed to the Kinshasa government, Uganda’s withdrawal from Congo was not strategically orderly.
That is why Uganda no longer has strong contacts with any group in the coalition government in Kinshasa.
So, the lack of strong contacts with these groups affects the way Uganda’s strategic interests are addressed.
All the DRC regions bordering Uganda are under the governorship of members of the RCD-Goma. It should be understood that inspite of the relative cordial relationship between Kampala and Kigali, Rwanda remains of strategic importance to the security of Uganda.
The fact that all governors of the Congolese regions bordering Uganda’s entire western border are from the Kigali-allied RCD-Goma is of strategic concern to Uganda.
Given the big size of the DR Congo, all regional governors enjoy some kind of self-indulged autonomy and are said to involve themselves a great deal in security matters.
As things stand now, Uganda does not have contacts with any of the Congolese rebel groups it associated with during the war and yet DR Congo remains strategically important to Uganda’s security. That is why the Government wants to quickly re-establish diplomatic ties with DR Congo government. However, with the constraints that go with diplomatic relations in a coalition government, the establishment of mutual contacts with people like Jean Pierre Bemba and Mbusa Nyamwisi would have readily complemented the diplomatic efforts.
It is against this background that the threat by Ugandan rebels in Eastern Congo should be evaluated. A security operative in Kasese who is on the beat of rebels in Eastern DR Congo, says there are no new rebel deployments, but preparation for war by remnants of the ADF.
“Although we know there is a PRA presence in Ituri Forest, we do not have information about their deployments for operations,†says the source.
But does these rebels constitute a threat to the security of Uganda?
Last month, Maj. Gen. Aronda Nykairima, the UPDF Army Commander and Simon Mulongo, a senior External Security Organisation (ESO) official went to Kinshasa, where they discussed the issue of Ugandan rebels in Eastern Congo. According to a source in the know, the Congo government told Nyakairima that it was willing to dislodge the rebels but it lacked equipment and manpower.
So, the UPDF is said to be caught between sending manpower and giving equipment to the Congolese army to fight the rebels.
For fear of the negative diplomatic consequences, the Uganda government is reluctant to send troops back to Congo. The fact that the issue of the rebels was the subject of discussion between the UPDF Army Commander and top security officials in the Kinshasa government means that the rebels constitute a real security threat to Uganda
But are these rebels PRA or remnants of the ADF? According a source on the ground in Kasese, there is a presence of PRA in Ituri Forest but it is not active.
“The only troop movement of any rebels in eastern DR Congo is that of ADF. They have transferred some troops from their camps in Mwalika and Irengethi to fortify their camp at Bunduguya.
“Although you press people say that the rebels are poised to attack Uganda, intelligence information say that the rebels seem to be fortifying their camp in Bunduguya in anticipation of UPDF,†said the source.
Bunduguya is close to the Uganda border with DR Congo across Bundibugyo. It is also in easy reach for the PRA troops in Ituri Forest although the prospect of merging ADF and PRA are minimal. “The PRA made contacts with the ADF with the objective of merging forces. But they failed to agree on the structures of command and control. The immediate security threat is from ADF although PRA constitutes a long-term strategic threat to the security of Uganda,†said the source. Ends