Emmy Allio
20 February 2007
Kampala — More than 400 fighters of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), led by their leaders Joseph Kony and Vincent Otti, have entered the Central African Republic, the army has said.
Kony entered the strife-torn country through Tambura in South Sudan, while Otti sneaked in directly from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Sources said the rebels are targeting the national park in the south-east of the country, where there is hardly any government presence.
Last week, an advance party of 40 rebels crossed to the Central African Republic, where they looted food and drugs from Yangiri dispensary. The main group of 400 rebels, who were camped 35km south of Tambura town, followed on Monday. "We have received information that the Ugandan rebels and their top leadership are now in the Central African Republic," the defence ministry spokesman, Major Felix Kulayigye, said yesterday.
The Ugandan rebels had come under pressure by the Kinshasa authorities to leave their sanctuary in Garamba National Park. Their departure was also prompted by a meeting between Ugandan, Congolese and South-Sudanese security officials in Arua last week on how to deal with the LRA threat.
In the Central African Republic, the LRA has reportedly linked up with rebels of the Popular Army for the Restoration of Democracy (APRD), who are fighting the Government of Francois Bozize.
Kony and Otti are likely to face French fire as France, which supports Bozize, is actively involved in fighting the APRD rebels.
In another development, Uganda is investigating a radio station run by the LRA in Koln, Germany, called Radio Rhino. Its director, Patrick Geoffrey Ayo, is a member of the LRA delegation to the Juba peace talks. An employee of the same radio, Otim Okullu, is also a member of the LRA delegation.
Senior government officials said Radio Rhino, which operated from the compound of Ayo's residence in Koln and aired pro-LRA programmes, only went off air recently when the two got involved in the peace talks.
"We are aware about this radio and investigations about its existence and operations are going on," said Henry Oryem, state minister for foreign affairs.
Meanwhile, behind-the-scenes maneuvers are going on to have the peace talks move to either Kenya or South Africa. The New Vision has reliably learnt that members of the Acholi Religious Leaders Peace Initiative, led by Archbishop Odama, are currently soliciting South Africa and Kenya to host the talks, as demanded by the LRA.
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