November
18, 2006: LRA leader Joseph Kony appears sincere in his efforts to end the
years of rebellion in northern Uganda. The main problem, then, would be getting
the word to all the LRA bands still wandering around the area. Some of the LRA
followers will turn into bandits, but that's fairly normal after a rural
rebellion like this is defeated.
November
17, 2006: The government denied it had sent any troops to Somalia, although it
says a battalion of peacekeepers are being trained for deployment to Somalia.
November
16, 2006: The UN Security Council demanded that the Lords Resistance Army (LRA)
immediately release all "woman and children" abductees still under rebel
control.
November
15, 2006: Soldiers from the Ugandan Army (UPDF, Uganda Peoples Defense Forces)
are apparently operating "inside Somalia." The Ugandan troops were helping
train supporters of the Somali Transitional Government. Uganda belongs to IGAD
(Intergovernmental Authority on Development), an East African regional
development cooperative. The Ugandan troops were supporting the Transitional
Government as part of an IGAD-initiated training team. The Ugandan soldiers are
not deployed as a fighting force but are "entitled to defend themselves" if
attacked. The presence of Ugandan troops in Somalia is another indicator that
an attempt by the Islamic Courts in Somalia to destroy Somalia's Transitional
Government could produce a wider regional war.
November
12, 2006: LRA leader Joseph Kony met with UN representatives. The meeting was
held near the Ri-Kwangba assembly area in south Sudan. The UN representative
asked Kopny to release all abducted children held by the LRA. Kony denied that
there were any children in the LRA. Kony insisted that the LRA was composed
only of adult combatants. Kony's denial is false on its face. Many (most)
African guerrilla fighters employ abducted civilians as laborers and supply
bearers. Often the abducted are children.
