Uganda’s operation “Lightning Thunder” is in danger of faltering because actions of the army are being directly determined by President Yoweri Museveni, the Commander in Chief of the Uganda People’s Defense Forces, who is not in Garamba, a highly placed military source has told Inside Politics.
Officers and men involved in the operation say the battle is being remote-commanded by the President in Kampala where he is giving telephone instructions.
“He should allow the ground commanders to do their job and stop interfering” said the source who cannot be named directly criticizing the President’s role in the effort to get Kony.
Daily Monitor has established that the Ugandan army did not act quickly to reap the element of surprise immediately following aerial bombardments over a week ago when the operation commenced.
This, according to confidential military sources, loosened the noose on the rebels who, evidence trickling out of the battle front shows, were able to flee with even their wounded after the attacks. For three days, sources say, the ground troops had not arrived at the bombed out camps and that when they finally did reach the areas there was little of value to show as dividends of the attack.
President Museveni, at a press conference on December 22, regretted not landing ground troops on time and said the rebels could have escaped because they had acquired the radio listening equipment. Other sources who spoke to Inside Politics however, said Kony could have been tipped off and left the camp just in time.
But analysts are beginning to draw parallels between the current operation in Congo and the command of especially Kisangani 2 and 3 where Kampala based command led to devastating results when Ugandan forces clashed with their Rwandese colleagues after the two armies supported opposing factions.
The full extent of Ugandan causalities in Uganda’s earlier engagement in Congo has never been known.
The UPDF was in 1997 deployed in eastern Congo by executive order and without approval of Parliament to flush out Ugandan rebels of the ADF that operated rear bases their. The overall objective was achieved but the army got embroiled in the domestic Congolese civil war for a long time.
The new operation against Kony, who had also found a safe haven in the Congo jungles this time round, has the blessing of the Congolese government.
In the latest battles operational mishaps and oversights are raising early questions as Kony and his core command team apparently eluded the UPDF dragnet. With an undefined time frame to pursue the reclusive leader, opinion leaders are beginning to ponder long term implications including a possibility that the LRA could sneak back into Uganda and cause havoc in the northern regions.
David Matsanga, Kony’s international spokesman claims the leadership of the LRA escaped the bombing campaign.
According to another source, pursuit of the rebels as well as delay in rescuing a group of women and children whom the army’s aerial surveillance flights identified, could be missed opportunities for the army if the current delays continue.
Over a week since the operation begun the army has not engaged the LRA and the aerial bombardments remain the only significant military action by the regional joint force led by the UPDF with assistance from the DRC and Sudanese national armies.
Fingers of discomfort are also being pointed at the presence of first son Lt. Col. Muhoozi Kainerugaba at the battle front. On the ground, sources say his personal protection is acting as a major distraction to rebel pursuit.
“Lt Col Muhoozi [ Kainerugaba] is facing a critical test of his career but his own forces are also pre-occupied with his own security making them less flexible in taking risks,” the source added.
The operation which begun with an aerial raid is meant, according to the army, to “break the back” of the LRA. The rebels appear to have fled in disarray according to evidence the army has recovered from their abandoned camps.
“It’s true the overall command of the operation is with his Excellency the President. He is closely monitoring, supervising, guiding and giving advice to the team. He has full confidence in his commanders on the ground” said Hon Okello Oryem, the State Minister for Foreign Affairs [International Cooperation].
http://www.monitor.co.ug/artman/publish/inside_politics/Reclusive_Kony_UPDF_s_tactics_under_spotlight_77403.shtml
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