Uganda: Arresting Al Qaeda

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March 27,2008: Government and LRA leaders at the Juba talks have agreed to sign a peace treaty on April 5. The LRA and the Ugandan government have agreed to extend the ceasefire. Apparently Uganda intends to ignore the International Criminal Court (ICC) warrants for senior LRA officials. Ugandan and the LRA have come very close to signing a formal peace agreement in the past. Reaching a peace agreement should not be dismissed – that means something. However, the real test will come when it comes to dealing with details (like ICC warrants) and implementing the peace agreement on-the-ground. For example, Uganda and the LRA agreed to establish "safe corridors" for LRA rebels in northern Uganda, and the LRA quickly accused the Ugandan Army of violating the agreement. The various ceasefire agreements have been broken, and LRA units continue to make trouble in South Sudan.

March 24, 2008: The government reported that on February 12 security personnel arrested a Somali, Ali Abdi Hassan, suspected of belonging to Al Qaeda, at the capitals Entebbe Airport.

March 21, 2008: Police reported more trouble between Bakonzo tribe farmers and and Basongora herders. One person was killed in the village of Rwehingo (western Uganda).

March 20, 2008: Ugandan media began reporting in mid-March that LRA leader Joseph Kony has moved from Congo to the Central African Republic (CAR). Subsequently, one Ugandan government source confirmed the reports. "Where is Kony?" is a question the Ugandan press asks on a regular basis. The reports look like another rumor, but in light of the March 12 report of an LRA attack in the CAR, it is an interesting rumor. Nevertheless, a Ugandan delegation from northern Uganda (Kony's home turf) is scheduled to have a meeting with him in the Congo.

March 12, 2008: Rebels from the LRA attacked the town of Obo in the Central African Republic (CAR) and kidnapped 80 people. The attack took place sometime during the first week of March. The latest report said "several" people were murdered by rebels wielding machetes. If the report is accurate, it suggests that at least one LRA group has moved from the northeastern Congo and/or south Sudan, likely due increased security presence by Congolese and Sudanese forces.

 

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