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Uganda: Another Kony Rebel Surrenders
[All Africa] A former senior signaller in the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), a perennial thorn in Africa's side led by elusive rebel leader Joseph Kony... The Lords Resistance Army is a religious and military group formed in 1987. It is led by Joseph Kony, who proclaims himself the spokesperson of Godand a spirit medium, and who is periodically possessed by demons, Beelzebub and Legion prominent among them. Kony advises his soldiers to draw crosses on their chests as a protection against bullets. This does't work, but nobody outside the LRA minds. The group is based on a hodge podge of apocalyptic Christianity, mysticism, and traditional Acholi religion, and claims to be establishing a theocratic state based on an odd interpretation of the Ten Commandments. The LRA is famous for systematic criminal conduct, including murder, abduction, mutilation, sexual enslavement of women and children, forcing children to participate in hostilities, and occasional cannibalism. The LRA operates mainly in northern Uganda and also in parts of Sudan, Central African Republic and DR Congo... has defected from the rebel outfit to the Uganda People's Defense Forces (UPDF). Lt Michael Omona, 33, defected on January 20, from the jungles of Central African Republic (CAR) after spending 23 years in captivity. He was airlifted to Gulu on Monday and welcomed by religious leaders led by Gulu Archbishop John Baptist Odama, security officials and cultural leaders amid ululation from relatives at Gulu Airfield. Mr Omona joins two other former ex-LRA fighters; Sgt Peter Kidega, a former radio signaler and Julius Obira. They both surrendered to the UPDF in October last year and February last month respectively. He was kidnapped by LRA rebels in 1994 at his ancestral home in Alero Sub-county in current day Nwoya District while still in Primary Five at Alero Primary School. According to Ugandan security officials, Mr Omona, a father of two, first surrendered to the Seleka ...a 'mainly' Moslem rebel force in the Central African Republic that overthrew the govt, imposed a regime of rapine and looting on the country's non-Moslem population, and was then tossed by France. They still exist, getting funding and weapons from somewhere or other, licking their wounds, complaining about the oppression of Moslems, and occasionally raping and looting someone... rebels in Central African Republic before being handed over to the UPDF and American security agents in Obo. Speaking to Daily Monitor in an interview on Monday, Mr Omona said his plans of defection followed an order by Mr Kony, who summoned his group comprising 30 rebels, to meet him at an undisclosed venue in CAR. "We had lost touch with other LRA commanders and Mr Kony himself for two months. We were being commanded by Maj Okot Owila but we later got reports that Kony wanted to meet us and I thought to myself I wasn't going to go back to him, so I escaped on my way from Lukoto river," Mr Omona said. He added: "I wandered in the jungle for ten days before entering the Seleka rebels' held territory in Sam Ouandja. I surrendered to them and their commanders later took me to the UPDF who treated me well." "I want to thank my parents, religious and cultural leaders for the prayers. I want to thank God that I escaped and reached home safely because it wouldn't have been possible without Him," Mr Omona said. Archbishop Odama applauded the UPDF and the American government for their efforts in bringing home ex-LRA fighters and urged those still in captivity to take the opportunity and surrender. Lt Hassan Kato, the 4th Division infantry spokesperson, said the continued pressure UPDF has put on LRA remnants in the jungles of CAR has made life unbearable for Kony and his men. "Kony can no longer administer his men and they are left with no option but to defect to UPDF," Lt Kato said. The LRA war that lasted for nearly two decades led to the displacement of more than 1.5 million people with tens of thousands losing their lives while women and kiddies were kidnapped and turned into child soldiers and sex slaves. Posted by: Fred 2017-04-01 |
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