Muhoozi Fights Kony in Soroti
Aug 25, 2003
The armoured battalion of the Presidential Brigade, commanded by Major Kainerugaba Muhoozi (right), President Yoweri Museveni’s son, and the 21st battalion of the UPDF on Sunday clashed with Joseph Kony’s LRA rebels at the Soroti-Katakwi borders.
By Emmy Allio
in Soroti
The armoured battalion of the Presidential Brigade, commanded by Major Kainerugaba Muhoozi (pictured left), President Yoweri Museveni’s son, and the 21st battalion of the UPDF on Sunday clashed with Joseph Kony’s LRA rebels at the Soroti-Katakwi borders.
In the clash, which took place in Aparisa near Achuna on the Soroti-Orungo road, five rebels were killed and 13 child captives rescued.
Security sources said the rebels, who were herding an unspecified number of children carrying heavy loads of food, were heading for Lira district to link up with the LRA chief of staff, Tolbert Tabuley.
The sources said heavy UPDF deployment at the Teso-Lango borders had made it hard for Tabuley to cross to Lira.
Tabuley’s group has been under intense helicopter gunship bombardment in the last four days.
UPDF 3rd Division public relations officer Lt. David Etyang said the rebels lost a tortoise grenade, 1,713 bullets for a 12.7mm anti-aircraft gun as well as magazines for G-3 and AK47s.
“More details of the Sunday evening battle are still coming in. But I know that the 21st battalion and the Presidential Guard were operating in that area,†the source said.
A top commander of the Arrow Group, a local militia fighting LRA, said the Arrow Group and the army were launching a cordon-and-search operation in bid to “uproot the rebels from the Teso region.â€
Army commander Maj. Gen. Nyakairima Aronda and Arrow Group chiefs yesterday met for several hours in Soroti to plan how to fight remnants of the rebel groups after the main group fled the region a week ago.
The Presidential Brigade arrived in Soroti last week with a convoy of tanks and armoured personnel carriers. They joined the Alpine Brigade from Kasese which is credited with the defeat of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) in the Rwenzori region.
Alpine Brigade comprises mostly the Bakonzo and Bamba tribes. Their short stature has excited sections of the town residents.
A leading commander of the Arrow Group, Mr. John Eresu (the MP for Kaberamaido county), said displaced persons from Soroti had begun returning to the villages.
in Soroti
The armoured battalion of the Presidential Brigade, commanded by Major Kainerugaba Muhoozi (pictured left), President Yoweri Museveni’s son, and the 21st battalion of the UPDF on Sunday clashed with Joseph Kony’s LRA rebels at the Soroti-Katakwi borders.
In the clash, which took place in Aparisa near Achuna on the Soroti-Orungo road, five rebels were killed and 13 child captives rescued.
Security sources said the rebels, who were herding an unspecified number of children carrying heavy loads of food, were heading for Lira district to link up with the LRA chief of staff, Tolbert Tabuley.
The sources said heavy UPDF deployment at the Teso-Lango borders had made it hard for Tabuley to cross to Lira.
Tabuley’s group has been under intense helicopter gunship bombardment in the last four days.
UPDF 3rd Division public relations officer Lt. David Etyang said the rebels lost a tortoise grenade, 1,713 bullets for a 12.7mm anti-aircraft gun as well as magazines for G-3 and AK47s.
“More details of the Sunday evening battle are still coming in. But I know that the 21st battalion and the Presidential Guard were operating in that area,†the source said.
A top commander of the Arrow Group, a local militia fighting LRA, said the Arrow Group and the army were launching a cordon-and-search operation in bid to “uproot the rebels from the Teso region.â€
Army commander Maj. Gen. Nyakairima Aronda and Arrow Group chiefs yesterday met for several hours in Soroti to plan how to fight remnants of the rebel groups after the main group fled the region a week ago.
The Presidential Brigade arrived in Soroti last week with a convoy of tanks and armoured personnel carriers. They joined the Alpine Brigade from Kasese which is credited with the defeat of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) in the Rwenzori region.
Alpine Brigade comprises mostly the Bakonzo and Bamba tribes. Their short stature has excited sections of the town residents.
A leading commander of the Arrow Group, Mr. John Eresu (the MP for Kaberamaido county), said displaced persons from Soroti had begun returning to the villages.