Ugandan security forces kill senior LRA commander in CAR

By Richard Ruati

November 22, 2009 (Kampala) — The Ugandan security forces in Central Africa Republic have killed a senior LRA rebels Commander near Obo town in CAR, an Army spokesperson has confirmed.

Speaking by telephone hookup from Kampala the UPDF Spokesperson Lt Col Felix Kulayigye told Sudan Tribune that, “Senior LRA Commander Col Okello Ukuti was shot dead around Obo town last Tuesday, he was found alone in hiding.”

Asked whether Col Ukuti was killed with other LRA rebels/bodyguards, Felix said that, “LRA commanders don’t have soldiers or bodyguards anymore, most of their soldiers have been killed by UPDF,” adding that, “many others have surrendered to UPDF of recent.”

He cited the killing of Col Ukuti as a very big blow to the central command of LRA rebels.”

“Col Okello Ukuti commanded the LRA gruesome attacks in Eastern Padeya Region in Northern Uganda,” Felix added.

The lamented that, “the Ugandan Army has intensified attacks on the rebels, blocking their escape to South Sudan and Chad.”

In south Sudan’s town of Nzara a week ago attacks attributed to the LRA killed seven innocent civilians who had converged to take part in the ongoing voter registration. The attack resumed reign of fear among the residents of Western Equatoria State.

Lt Felix further said, “there are less than 100 LRA fighters left, denying the recent media report that, 3,000 LRA fighters that crossed into DRC and he stressed that, the Ugandan Army is close to capture the “big fish, General Joseph Kony who is on the run in the fertile jungles of CAR.

As pressure is mounting on the fugitive rebels, over hundred LRA rebels and their top commanders have surrendered to SPLA, UPDF and Congolese soldiers. In southern Sudan over 60 rebels and their families have surrendered.

Reports emerging from Kampala say 34 rebels of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) have surrendered to the UPDF intelligence squad in Faradje in eastern Congo, according to military sources.

"They turned themselves in at 11:00am on Thursday with their commander, Capt. Obale," Brig. James Mugira, the Chief of Military Intelligence, told Saturday Vision in Kampala.

Of the 34, he said, 10 were Ugandans, 2 Sudanese and 22 Congolese. "They returned with 12 sub-machine guns, two walkie-talkies, 11 mobile phones and two solar panels."

This was the last group that surrendered from the Faradje area, according to the army. "That area has now been cleared," said Mugira.

The group’s over-all commander, Col. Charles Arop, turned himself in to the UPDF earlier this month after most of him men had either defected or been killed.

The unit of originally 71 rebels had been operating around the Faradje area since late last year and was responsible for the Christmas massacres that left at least 143 people dead.

Military sources estimate the total number of LRA rebels left in the Democratic Republic of Congo at 80. The rest is in the Central African Republic, together with LRA leader Joseph Kony.

In the past year LRA rebels have abducted close to a thousand children in the regions to use them kill their own people.

The UN Security Council on Tuesday strongly condemned the increasingly recent attacks by the Lord Resistance Army (LRA) rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Southern Sudan and CAR respectively.

As the clock is ticking on man who has brought horror to people he self-proclaims to liberate, the simple question one will ask is: Are the days of Lord’s Resistance Army numbered.

(ST)

17 Forum messages

Ugandan security forces kill senior LRA commander in CAR 22 November 2009 03:32, by Mr Famous Big_Logic_Boy

Wonderfull this is what i expect from real troops, I think UPDF troops and Arrow boys will soon crook the gang movement of LRA.

Ugandan security forces kill senior LRA commander in CAR 22 November 2009 03:45, by Dinka Dominated SPLA

since whan did you quit L R A you wicked human called logic boy
- Ugandan security forces kill senior LRA commander in CAR 22 November 2009 03:48, by Mr Famous Big_Logic_Boy
  
  Pre mature mind deserve no respond!!!
  - Ugandan security forces kill senior LRA commander in CAR 22 November 2009 04:05, by Dinka Dominated SPLA
    
    like you son of coward man you will die hidding like your father who abandon your mother to arab for cowardice
Ugandan security forces kill senior LRA commander in CAR 22 November 2009 10:15, by pata mike

All the generals statement are lies : i will not say morre than this
Ugandan security forces kill senior LRA commander in CAR 22 November 2009 10:47, by pata mike

so called logic change your name to illogical among the illogicals. There is a continual replenishing of ranks into LRA. How many have you conscripted so far. You are new to this kind of propaganda leave it to the veterans

Ugandan security forces kill senior LRA commander in CAR 22 November 2009 04:03, by Dinka Boy

Great job. This LRAs names ressemble some Sudanese name especially equatorians and some lou.

Ugandan security forces kill senior LRA commander in CAR 22 November 2009 04:45, by Mr Famous Big_Logic_Boy

Dinkas Boy

You sound hungry to me, please get yourself some raw milk.
- Ugandan security forces kill senior LRA commander in CAR 22 November 2009 04:55, by Gatwech
  
  I doubt the story told by the UPDF army spokesman. If it is true that the Colonel was found hiding alone without any bodyguards, then he should have been arrested, investigated to give the UPDF some important information about the whereabouts of Joseph Kony, his plans and how many more soldiers he has or where have they deployed them. Again, it is cowardic for the army to shoot dead a vulnerable senior officer instead of taking him captive. I believe that the Colonel was even trying to escape to join the Ugandan government. There is no way that he should be without any bodyguard. There is something missing in this story of Felix (UPDF).
  - Ugandan security forces kill senior LRA commander in CAR 22 November 2009 05:00, by Gatwech
    
    And compare his case with the case of the Dinka LRA officer called Charles Arop. He defected to UPDF but was not shot dead.
    - Ugandan security forces kill senior LRA commander in CAR 22 November 2009 05:51, by Mr Famous Big_Logic_Boy
      
      Getwech it is not easy to approach a lion, there is no way of arrest him, he will still defend himself by all meants because he knew the only thing is death. Another problem is that Uganda troops are recklesas they lack strategy of dealing with gangs like LRA, see last time when the LRA was in Uganda thousands of Uganda UPDF were killed like chicken. Sometimes one LRA get injured but 5-10 UPDF got killed plus many more injured
      - Ugandan security forces kill senior LRA commander in CAR 22 November 2009 07:21, by Prophet Alexander
        
        Dear readers and commentators,
        
        I have found out that there are three groups of commentators. The first is Arab Muslims of the North Sudan, second is African Muslims of the South Sudan and the third is Christians African of the South Sudan. The first two groups are for the Unity of the Sudan while the third group are for the Independent of South Sudan.
        
        It is difficult to identify them because most of the writers use false titles, false names, and false tribal or traditional names of the other tribes, in order to say bad or offensive words, to discourage, divide the Southerners to hate, fight and kill themselves so that they forget about their most important rights of their Independent State. These Arab and African Muslims of the north are attacking mostly the GOSS, Salva Kiir, Dr. Riak Machar and all the tribes of South Sudan. This is a cold war.
        
        The Northerners know very well that they deprive or deny the Southerners of education as a result, they are still living in tribal units and they do not know what is the to be a Nation, only what they know is their tribe men (a group of families) and the map of their villages.
        
        It is painful to mention that about 60% of the South Sudanese do not enter into the classrooms, 30% acquire low level of education (primary-secondary level) and only 10% finished their College and university level and by the support from Church Institutions.
        
        These Northerners group are bitterly complaining against the GOSS denouncing it as a corrupt, tribalism government of one tribe Dinka. And they are creating tribal conflict throughout among the cattle’s keeper tribes in South Sudan. And influence others tribes to hate Dinka and see them as the second Arabs in South Sudan. All these are done, so that in 2011 referendum South Sudanese are divide with two opinions and will say that better I vote for Arabs than to Dinka. They turn the mind of South Sudan people to see Dinka than to look for their Independent day.
        
        Since Southerners lack two important things; such as knowledge and understanding and love and unity among themselves. Most of them are now running after positions, leadership, and money in GOSS rather than to run first after their Independent State. There is nothing very important and cannot be compared with anything in the South than the independent State for the people of south Sudan. It is the future of our childrens’ childrens’ generation.
        
        Most of Southerners do not yet understand that Salva Kiir is doing the two greatest jobs by leading you into Independent, from slavery to freedom, from second class people to first class and also leading the entire Sudan to a new era of Democracy, in which the government will be elected by the people. You can change the government not by war or by force but by your Votes. Oh my God Help Salva kiir.
        
        I am strongly appealing to entire Southerners to unite, respect H.E Salva kiir, love yourselves, unite and vote for Independent of South Sudan NOW!!! Paul says “I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in minds and thought (!Cor. 1:10).” Thank you for reading and Jesus loves you very much and he died for you. Amen.
        
        Alexander
    - Ugandan security forces kill senior LRA commander in CAR 22 November 2009 10:04, by pata mike
      
      He will soon be granted a high position in the UPDF i bet you 100 US dollar if it does not happen
  - Ugandan security forces kill senior LRA commander in CAR 22 November 2009 10:51, by pata mike
    
    The UPDf got an abducted childs soldier and immediately gave him a rank then publicised the story: this is part of the war- propaganda
Ugandan security forces kill senior LRA commander in CAR 22 November 2009 10:12, by pata mike

This was not a great job - for one familear with LRA activities this is the trend as more get abducted. The rule of the LRA is to operate with only 600 fighters not thousands. You must note thatthere are very many Dinkas inthe LRA, several EQuatorians. The Dinka LRA committed many atrocities and i have the evidence which i will not present heere.

Ugandan security forces kill senior LRA commander in CAR 22 November 2009 10:02, by pata mike

Felix Kulagye is a thief and a liar. Adductess find their way of of the LRA then the uganda Army lebels the a s LRA soldiers and provide them with fake ranks. How can family members be LRA or a ten day old baby? We have heard all these lies and statements since 1986 even before Kulagye attained his post. One point is also clear abductees who escape from the so called LRA are conscripted into the uganda Army and sent to places klike somalia nad aslo recycled back into Congo, Sudan and CAR by th UPDF. It is senseless to say that the LRA was weakend by all this because the LRA has been through all this in the last 22 years at one time 5000 abductees turned un in Gulu within less than a month, but that did not result into reduction in LRA operations. One must also realise that abductees turning themsleves in means the LRA has left that particular area and those remaining would have been advises by the LRA high command to return home because they are unable to cope with guerilla activities. But one must also realise the lies of the UPDF: they die in large numbers but do not report their casaulites because they wish to create ghost payrolls

Ugandan security forces kill senior LRA commander in CAR 22 November 2009 12:06, by DASODIKO

Yeah the evil doers are compensated this way. let them go to hell. Amen