Hunt for Kony to continue â€" Kiyonga
May 12, 2010
THE army will continue pursuing the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebel chief, Joseph Kony, until he is captured, defence minister Dr. Crispus Kiyonga has said.
By Patrick Okino
THE army will continue pursuing the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebel chief, Joseph Kony, until he is captured, defence minister Dr. Crispus Kiyonga has said.
He said 400 rebels have been killed and over 300 guns seized by the army since the attack on the rebels’ hideout in the DR Congo started in 2008.
He accused Kony of deliberately failing to sign the peace agreement after two years of negotiations in Juba, Southern Sudan.
“When he didn’t appear, we went and attacked him. So far, 400 rebels have been killed. Several of them captured by our forces,†Kiyonga said.
“Even before Juba, we tried to negotiate with him three times but he dodged us,†Kiyonga explained, adding that the attacks had rendered the rebels weak and incapable of returning to Uganda.
“A few of them who are still in the Central African Republic will either be captured alive or killed, including Kony,†the minister added.
Kiyonga was addressing residents of Apiioguru village, Omoro sub-county in Alebtong district on Sunday.
The function was organised to hand over compensation to the family of Martin Engweny following an incident where a UPDF soldier mistaken to be his son, Ambrose Adiga, was buried at his home.
The soldier, Martin Wacha, died in 2006 when an army truck crashed in Kapchorwa district, killing 30 soldiers.
However, when Adiga turned up alive, the army exhumed the body and reburied it in Nakaseke.
Kiyonga, who gave sh5m to the family, assured the people of Lango, Teso and Acholi sub-regions that even the Karimojong cattle rustlers had been weakened.
He said the UPDF had collected over 20,000 guns from the Karamoja region and that the disarmament exercise had reduced the number of attacks in the neighbouring areas.
He added that President Yoweri Museveni was committed to bringing peace, unity and transformation to the country.
Kiyonga commended the people of Lango for not joining the rebellion against the Government. He also hailed them for sending their youth to join the Amuka militia group to help the army flush out the LRA.
The UPDF political commissar, Col. Phinehas Katirima, the 5th Division deputy commander, Col. Mulindwa, the area Woman MP, Rebecca Amuge Otengo, Lira RDC Joan Pacoto, Lira LC5 Franco Ojur and other officers of the UPDF attended.
THE army will continue pursuing the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebel chief, Joseph Kony, until he is captured, defence minister Dr. Crispus Kiyonga has said.
He said 400 rebels have been killed and over 300 guns seized by the army since the attack on the rebels’ hideout in the DR Congo started in 2008.
He accused Kony of deliberately failing to sign the peace agreement after two years of negotiations in Juba, Southern Sudan.
“When he didn’t appear, we went and attacked him. So far, 400 rebels have been killed. Several of them captured by our forces,†Kiyonga said.
“Even before Juba, we tried to negotiate with him three times but he dodged us,†Kiyonga explained, adding that the attacks had rendered the rebels weak and incapable of returning to Uganda.
“A few of them who are still in the Central African Republic will either be captured alive or killed, including Kony,†the minister added.
Kiyonga was addressing residents of Apiioguru village, Omoro sub-county in Alebtong district on Sunday.
The function was organised to hand over compensation to the family of Martin Engweny following an incident where a UPDF soldier mistaken to be his son, Ambrose Adiga, was buried at his home.
The soldier, Martin Wacha, died in 2006 when an army truck crashed in Kapchorwa district, killing 30 soldiers.
However, when Adiga turned up alive, the army exhumed the body and reburied it in Nakaseke.
Kiyonga, who gave sh5m to the family, assured the people of Lango, Teso and Acholi sub-regions that even the Karimojong cattle rustlers had been weakened.
He said the UPDF had collected over 20,000 guns from the Karamoja region and that the disarmament exercise had reduced the number of attacks in the neighbouring areas.
He added that President Yoweri Museveni was committed to bringing peace, unity and transformation to the country.
Kiyonga commended the people of Lango for not joining the rebellion against the Government. He also hailed them for sending their youth to join the Amuka militia group to help the army flush out the LRA.
The UPDF political commissar, Col. Phinehas Katirima, the 5th Division deputy commander, Col. Mulindwa, the area Woman MP, Rebecca Amuge Otengo, Lira RDC Joan Pacoto, Lira LC5 Franco Ojur and other officers of the UPDF attended.