Leaders from the north laud govt for attacking LRA

By Patrick Opio Lango, Chris Ocowun and Justin Moro

Northern leaders have lauded the Government for attacking the LRA rebel in Garamba forest. Oyam district chairperson Charles Okello-Engola said rabel chief Joseph Kony had been frustrating the peace talks.

“I have always told people that Kony does not understand the language of peace talks, but rather the gun. This is a lunatic fond of merciless destruction of innocent lives,” he said in response to media reports that the UPDF had attacked the rebels.

The Apac district vice-chairperson, Bob Okae, said Kony and his henchmen were fooling the Government by ‘shifting goal posts’ for signing a comprehensive peace deal.

“We are happy with the joint effort of the three neighbouring countries. LRA is a menace. It must be destroyed so that peace prevails in the region,” Okae noted.

Aduku LC5 councillor Basil Okello Onac said: “We are jubilating as Kony is being flushed out from his caves. The LRA were re-grouping because the Government delayed to disorganise them.”

Callers to FM radio stations in Apac expressed happiness and prayed that the rebels would be kept from re-entering Uganda.

The senior presidential adviser for northern Uganda, Richard Todwong, said: “I am not surprised that Kony has been attacked. People have been patient with him for so long. He was fooling the Government, the Great Lakes region and the international community.”

The RDC of Moroto, Nahaman Ojwee, said that Government had taken the right step. On the other hand, some cultural, religious and political leaders have criticised the joint attack, saying many abducted children and women could be killed.

The chairman of Acholi Religious Leaders’ Peace Initiative, Archbishop John Baptist Odama, said: “It is a pity that it has happened. There will be loss of life, which will be sad for humanity.”

“I thought the two sides were only left with the task of convincing each other to sign the final peace agreement,” he added.

Odama wondered what would happen if the joint forces instead of bombing the LRA fighters, bombed the abducted children.

Gulu district chairman Norbert Moa said: “The attack was a betrayal of our aspiration for peaceful resolution. That is hypocrisy. Last week, the President said peace talks would be pursued and even agreed to have direct phone talks with Kony.”

He said the attack was likely to spill-over to northern Uganda, adding that it would destabilise the peace.

The prime minister of Acholi chiefdom, Kenneth Oketta, said: “The question is, will the military action bring peace? This does not mean that the peace talks option is closed. The two can go on concurrently.”

The Muslim Kahdi, Sheik Musa Khelil, said: “The military option is not a solution to the conflict in northern Uganda. The three countries should mind about the abducted children.”

He said Kony should have been given time to sign the agreement.