Ugandan Military Kills 20 LRA Rebels, Predicts Total Victory Within One Year
Voice of America reports that the Ugandan military has claimed to have killed 20 LRA rebels in Pader district yesterday. Major Felix Kulayigye, a spokesman for the military, also expressed confidence that the LRA will be completely defeated within one year. His comments follow a declaration made by Pres. Museveni last week that the LRA will be defeated by this coming April. Kulayigye said, “overall, the picture in northern Uganda is that the Lord’s Resistance Army can no longer commit crimes, can no longer abduct, can no longer block roads, can longer lay landmines.” However, within the past two weeks alone, the LRA has carried out deadly attacks in southern Sudan and in Kitgum and Lira districts of northern Uganda.
Tragically, the death of 20 LRA “rebels” almost certainly means the death of children – up to 80% of the LRA’s ranks are filled by abducted child soldiers. Consequently, Uganda-CAN urges the Ugandan government to pursue a peaceful resolution to the conflict. Uganda-CAN also calls on the Ugandan government to restrain from issuing declarations of imminant military victory over the LRA, as such declaration have not only been misleading in the past, but harmful to trust and prospects for negotiations.
Tragically, the death of 20 LRA “rebels” almost certainly means the death of children – up to 80% of the LRA’s ranks are filled by abducted child soldiers. Consequently, Uganda-CAN urges the Ugandan government to pursue a peaceful resolution to the conflict. Uganda-CAN also calls on the Ugandan government to restrain from issuing declarations of imminant military victory over the LRA, as such declaration have not only been misleading in the past, but harmful to trust and prospects for negotiations.