By Dennis Otim

18^th Oct 2010

A total of four African countries in east and central Africa have agreed to form one elite military brigade to fight Joseph Kony’s Lord’s Resistance Army [LRA] rebels, the African Union has revealed.

The four countries are Uganda, Central African Republic [CAR], the Democratic Republic of Congo [DRC], and Sudan.  Their mission is to vigorously pursue, fight, and possibly eliminate the LRA.

According to a briefing statement from the Africa Union that Uganda Correspondent has seen, the action plan for the new Brigade was agreed last Friday at a high level security meeting in Bangui, the capital city of CAR.

The statement did not however give a name by which the new Brigade would be referred.  Neither did it give any indication of the number troops that will be involved in the operation.  It however revealed that the joint brigade would be backed by the AU and coordinated by a special AU representative.

The Ministers from the four affected countries agreed to set up a joint operations centre to facilitate the exchange of information and intelligence.  The quartet also agreed to conduct joint border patrols.

In recent months, LRA attacks have been reported in all the state parties to this new Brigade with Uganda being the only exception.  The LRA had however, for nearly twenty years, wrecked havoc in many parts of Uganda especially northern and eastern parts.

According to the UNHCR spokesperson Adrian Edwards, the LRA’s latest attack was reported to have taken place last Sunday in Birao, a town in the northern part of the Central African Republic.   There, the LRA are reported to have abducted young girls, looted property, and set some commercial building ablaze.

The UN spokesman also said this year alone, the LRA had carried out more than 240 deadly attacks and killed an estimated 344 innocent civilians.  END.  If it’s Monday, it’s Uganda Correspondent.  Never miss out again!