DRC/Uganda

Ugandan troop withdrawal leaves Kony still at large

Article published on the 2009-03-23 Latest update 2009-03-23 09:03 TU

Joseph Kony (r)
(Photo: Gabriel Kahn/RFI)

Monday sees the end of the withdrawal of Uganda's 4,000 troops from the north-east of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The pullout of the troops began last week, bringing to an end Operation Lightning Thunder which began last December.

Correspondent Patricia Okoed says it has been deemed unsuccessful by some, since Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) leader Joseph Kony remains at large.

"The Ugandan army has not lost hope," she says, however. "They're claiming success in the killing of an estimated 150 bandits and the killing of one commander."

The army has also captured another commander.

"They're hoping that this rebel commander will give them more information on where they could possibly find the rebel leader himself," says Okoed.

"The Ugandan army also overran the rebels' main camp and last week handed it over to the Congolese army."

Okoed says that a small number of Ugandan soldiers, "no more than ten", will remain in the DRC.

She says these are intelligence officers with knowledge of the area "and will therefore offer insight to the Congolese army which is carrying on the operation despite the withdrawal of Ugandan troops".

The exit of Ugandan troops comes as local people claim that an attack by LRA fighters last Thursday left 12 dead and 40 abducted in the Congolese village of Yanguma. Residents of nearby Dungu said the attackers carried guns and machetes.

Ugandan local authorities in the districts bordering Congo have called on their residents to arm themselves with bows and arrows, so that they can respond if the LRA launches new attacks in revenge for Operation Lightning Thunder.