Kampala — Former Allied Democratic Forces fighters have threatened to leave the country if President Yoweri Museveni does not grant them audience.

"We are soldiers and in case we fail to meet the president, we shall be forced to leave the country," Capt. Ben Musisi, the chairman of the ADF veterans, said yesterday. "It has been four years since we reported [back] and we have not got anything from government."

Capt. Musisi was speaking at the Movement Task Force offices at Plot 10, Kyadondo Road, in Kampala where his team was scheduled to meet Mr Museveni's Political Assistant Moses Byaruhanga. Mr Byaruhanga did not honour the appointment.

"He told us to meet him here today at 11 a.m. but his aide tells us he is performing other duties as it's a public holiday," Capt. Musisi said after waiting for about two hours.

Capt. Musisi's group has about 620 members.

The former rebels are bitter that Gen. Ali Bamuze's ex-Uganda National Rescue Front II fighters were given Shs 4.2 billion, and nothing for the ADF.

"Government promised us houses, and ranks but we have all been given is the rank of private," the Vice Chairman Sirajje Kigonya said.

"How can someone come from the bush for the sake of peace and you don't even give him Shs 100?" a visibly angry Capt. Musisi said. "Besides, we are well behaved people and despite the fact that we have guns none of us has been caught in robberies or murder."

Mr Byaruhanga's aide Charles Byamungu said his boss would meet the ex-combatants on Monday.

On the ADF documents having been seized recently in Iraq, Capt. Musisi said that if the documents were there it showed the power of ADF.

He, however, added that no ADF member has been to Iraq and they were not sure of the documents' authenticity.