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Uganda: CAR Probes Kony Presence
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New Vision (Kampala)
23 August 2007
Posted to the web 24 August 2007
Anne Mugisa
Kampala
The Central African Republic (CAR) is probing the presence of rebels of the Lord's Resistance Army on its territory, President Francois Bozize has said.
Bozize, on a visit to Uganda, told a press conference at State House yesterday that preliminary investigations had not yielded information that Kony's rebels were in his country.
He said, however, that if Kony's men were on his territory, his government would take appropriate steps.
Bozize addressed the press conference jointly with his host, President Yoweri Museveni.
An April report by the International Crisis Group suggested that a group of LRA fighters had gone to the Central African Republic to receive ammunition supplied by the Khartoum Government.
"If it is found that they are there, we shall know what to do next. We cannot say anything now," Bozize said when asked whether he would effect the warrants of arrest issued by the International Criminal Court.
Museveni said the LRA was no longer a problem to Uganda. If it was confirmed that LRA rebels were in the Central African Republic and were posing a threat, Uganda would be ready to help deal with the rebels when requested, he added.
The President noted that the Juba peace talks were on course. "Talks are a simpler way of solving the problem."
He reiterated that the LRA were agents of the Sudanese government which thought it could "intimidate us not to stand with our black brothers in southern Sudan".
On the possibility of CAR and Uganda contributing forces to Darfur, Bozize said his country was not in a position to do so.
On his part, Museveni stated that Uganda could consider sending troops but would not want them to serve as part of the UN forces, whom he said "don't seem to be useful there".
He referred to the Rwandan 1994 genocide, in which over 800,000 people were slaughtered as the UN peacekeepers watched.
"You remember what happened in Rwanda where one million people were killed. I don't want our soldiers to be in such a situation.
Under the command of the UN, when things go wrong, you are co-guilty."
He also referred to the situation in neighbouring Congo. "In 1961, Lumumba was taken from the UN forces and killed. There are UN forces in the Democratic Republic of Congo, but you know what is happening now. Uganda would not want to be part of it."
He wants Ugandan troops to serve under a clear mandate, like the one that was given to Australia in East Timor or Uganda's mandate in Somalia.
The President said the UPDF was in Mogadishu to help the Somalis build their own institutions like the army.
Uganda would want other African Union forces to be deployed in Somalia, he added.
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But even if no other country sends troops, the UPDF would still carry out its mandate.
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