West Nile
Officials from the Democratic Republic of Congo on Monday accused Uganda, currently pursuing the LRA rebels in that country, of training and arming dissidents to destabilise the Kinshasa government.
Mr Merdard Autsai, the governor of the Oriental Province in north-eastern DRC, told a joint border security meeting at his residence in Aru town that they have heard that “some people they want” are hiding and receiving military drills in the neighbouring Nebbi, Arua and Koboko Districts in West Nile region.
Daily Monitor has learnt that some Arua-based informers put Congolese authorities on notice after the UPDF 45th battalion in the past months began refresher drills at Bondo barracks in what is now understood to have been rehearsals to attack LRA in Garamba.
The Ugandan team led by Arua RDC, Ibrahim Abiriga rebutted the allegations, which are likely to raise tensions between Kinshasa and Kampala at a time when Uganda requires DR Congo’s full cooperation in its struggles to annihilate Kony’s LRA insurgents.
Capt. Robert Kamara, the military spokesman in West Nile, whom the RDC tasked to speak on behalf of the visiting delegation said, “We put it clear to the Congolese governor that we do not have any Congolese dissidents either hiding in Refugee camps or training in West Nile.”
Daily Monitor has learnt that other Ugandan officials who travelled for the meeting in Aru town included UPDF 409 Brigade Commander Lt. Col. Hassan Kimbowa, the north-western Regional CID Officer Charles Erecu, Arua District Police Commander Julius Salube, Capt. Kamara and Mr Charles Tumusiime, the regional internal security officer.
However, the two teams agreed to set up an ad hoc committee, comprising both senior Congolese and Ugandan security officials, to ascertain the veracity of the allegations, which have edged the border authorities to mutual mistrust.
Governor Autsai, who flew into Aru from his provincial capital in Kisangani, nevertheless praised Uganda government’s military offensive against the LRA, whom he condemned for killing over 400 Congolese nationals in the past fortnight.
Mr Autsai reportedly pledged Congo’s full support in the ongoing military offensive against the LRA now scattered in diminutive clusters and terrorising northeastern DRC and parts of South Sudan. “LRA leader [Joseph] Kony has two options; either to kneel down and request to be given chance to sign the peace agreement or remain a terrorist to be defeated militarily or killed by the allied forces,” a Ugandan official who attended the closed-door security meeting, quoted Mr Autsai as having said.
The governor is said to have commended President Yoweri Museveni and Joseph Kabila for restoring diplomatic ties, initially ruptured by the 1997-2003 invasion of Congo by foreign countries, including Uganda whose military officials were later to be accused of pillaging Congolese resources.
At the Monday meeting, Mr Autsai said the two countries, whose border populations share common ancestry, need each other for profitable cross-border trade.
Officials from the Democratic Republic of Congo on Monday accused Uganda, currently pursuing the LRA rebels in that country, of training and arming dissidents to destabilise the Kinshasa government.
Mr Merdard Autsai, the governor of the Oriental Province in north-eastern DRC, told a joint border security meeting at his residence in Aru town that they have heard that “some people they want” are hiding and receiving military drills in the neighbouring Nebbi, Arua and Koboko Districts in West Nile region.
Daily Monitor has learnt that some Arua-based informers put Congolese authorities on notice after the UPDF 45th battalion in the past months began refresher drills at Bondo barracks in what is now understood to have been rehearsals to attack LRA in Garamba.
The Ugandan team led by Arua RDC, Ibrahim Abiriga rebutted the allegations, which are likely to raise tensions between Kinshasa and Kampala at a time when Uganda requires DR Congo’s full cooperation in its struggles to annihilate Kony’s LRA insurgents.
Capt. Robert Kamara, the military spokesman in West Nile, whom the RDC tasked to speak on behalf of the visiting delegation said, “We put it clear to the Congolese governor that we do not have any Congolese dissidents either hiding in Refugee camps or training in West Nile.”
Daily Monitor has learnt that other Ugandan officials who travelled for the meeting in Aru town included UPDF 409 Brigade Commander Lt. Col. Hassan Kimbowa, the north-western Regional CID Officer Charles Erecu, Arua District Police Commander Julius Salube, Capt. Kamara and Mr Charles Tumusiime, the regional internal security officer.
However, the two teams agreed to set up an ad hoc committee, comprising both senior Congolese and Ugandan security officials, to ascertain the veracity of the allegations, which have edged the border authorities to mutual mistrust.
Governor Autsai, who flew into Aru from his provincial capital in Kisangani, nevertheless praised Uganda government’s military offensive against the LRA, whom he condemned for killing over 400 Congolese nationals in the past fortnight.
Mr Autsai reportedly pledged Congo’s full support in the ongoing military offensive against the LRA now scattered in diminutive clusters and terrorising northeastern DRC and parts of South Sudan. “LRA leader [Joseph] Kony has two options; either to kneel down and request to be given chance to sign the peace agreement or remain a terrorist to be defeated militarily or killed by the allied forces,” a Ugandan official who attended the closed-door security meeting, quoted Mr Autsai as having said.
The governor is said to have commended President Yoweri Museveni and Joseph Kabila for restoring diplomatic ties, initially ruptured by the 1997-2003 invasion of Congo by foreign countries, including Uganda whose military officials were later to be accused of pillaging Congolese resources.
At the Monday meeting, Mr Autsai said the two countries, whose border populations share common ancestry, need each other for profitable cross-border trade.
http://www.monitor.co.ug/artman/publish/news/DRC_accuses_Uganda_of_training_dissidents_77833.shtml
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