Lucy Lapoti
22 July 2002
Army blames smoking soldier
Eyewitnesses and army officials have contradicting accounts over a UPDF anti-aircraft gun that was blown up yesterday in Gulu.
An Isuzu lorry was also blown up.
Joseph Kony's Lord's Resistance Army rebels are believed to have hit the A-14 gun at Adera in Paicho sub-county 10km along Gulu-Kitgum road.
UPDF Division 4 Public Relations Officer Lt. Paddy Ankunda maintains that the incident was an accident.
He said a UPDF soldier began to smoke in the vehicle that carried bombs and heat from the cigarette caused the explosion.
"There was nothing like an enemy bomb. It was caused by our own soldier who lit a cigarette, which heated one of the bombs," Ankunda said.
He added that only two soldiers were injured in the blast.
Smoke from the wreckage could be seen from Gulu town by 11:00 am yesterday.
However, eyewitnesses and civilian reports talk of rebel ambush staged by one of the female commanders known as Acaa.
One Boda Boda cyclist who passed through the scene shortly after the incident told The Monitor at Unyama trading centre that there were three rebel groups who had staged different ambushes around the area last night.
A security official at the scene said there were at least 10 wounded soldiers.
The incident halted traffic to Kitgum and journalists were barred from taking pictures.
The UPDF Division 4 commander, Col. Andrew Gutti said he had no details.
If the army version is to be believed, then this is the second incident where UPDF soldiers have caused panic and a stampede in Gulu.
On July 19 a UPDF officer Capt. Mazid Tayara caused panic in Gulu after he fired bullets through the roof of a drinking joint near the barracks.
Several expatriates fled the town.
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