Uganda: There's Something About Somalia

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November18, 2006: LRA leader Joseph Kony appears sincere in his efforts to end the years of rebellion in northern Uganda. The main problem, then, would be getting the word to all the LRA bands still wandering around the area. Some of the LRA followers will turn into bandits, but that's fairly normal after a rural rebellion like this is defeated.

November 17, 2006: The government denied it had sent any troops to Somalia, although it says a battalion of peacekeepers are being trained for deployment to Somalia.

November 16, 2006: The UN Security Council demanded that the Lords Resistance Army (LRA) immediately release all "woman and children" abductees still under rebel control.

November 15, 2006: Soldiers from the Ugandan Army (UPDF, Uganda Peoples Defense Forces) are apparently operating "inside Somalia." The Ugandan troops were helping train supporters of the Somali Transitional Government. Uganda belongs to IGAD (Intergovernmental Authority on Development), an East African regional development cooperative. The Ugandan troops were supporting the Transitional Government as part of an IGAD-initiated training team. The Ugandan soldiers are not deployed as a fighting force but are "entitled to defend themselves" if attacked. The presence of Ugandan troops in Somalia is another indicator that an attempt by the Islamic Courts in Somalia to destroy Somalia's Transitional Government could produce a wider regional war.

November 12, 2006: LRA leader Joseph Kony met with UN representatives. The meeting was held near the Ri-Kwangba assembly area in south Sudan. The UN representative asked Kopny to release all abducted children held by the LRA. Kony denied that there were any children in the LRA. Kony insisted that the LRA was composed only of adult combatants. Kony's denial is false on its face. Many (most) African guerrilla fighters employ abducted civilians as laborers and supply bearers. Often the abducted are children.

 

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