John Muto-Ono p'Lajur
2 September 2002
Army spokesman Maj. Shaban Bantariza Thursday said the army is not using chemical weapons against the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebels. He also denied that the army targets the Catholic Church.
"Chemical weapons are not selective. Is there any evidence? Have you heard about anthrax or bacteria anywhere?" Bantariza asked.
Bantariza was reacting to questions, raised by the chairman of Gulu District LC-III Chairpersons Association, Tony Kitara, who complained that the army had not responded to LRA allegations that the UPDF was using chemical weapons.
"The allegation was made by the LRA that UPDF is using chemical weapons. For us, we don't know these things. What we don't want is unnecessary death to our people," Kitara had told a press meeting Wednesday.
Kitara also blamed the UPDF for carrying out indiscriminate attacks against civilians, citing the incident where UPDF bombs killed three people at Cetkana Bungatira and another in Amuru sub-county in Kilak where four people died from UPDF fire Aug. 21.
Bantariza said on phone that the UPDF is not a guerrilla army but a conventional one that can only use conventional means of engagement.
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