Ugandan Troops Kill LRA Leader in CAR

By Kylie M Tsudama
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

KAMPALA, Uganda – A Senior Commander of the Lord’s Resistance Army militant group in the Central African Republic (CAR) has been killed.

On Friday, along with one of his fighters, Bok Abudema was killed.  According to military and intelligence officials, he was effectively the militant group’s second-in-command, since the wounding of Deputy Commander Okot Odhiambo about a year ago.

“After Odhiambo sustained serious injuries, Abudema took over as the overall commander and deputy to Kony,” said an unnamed intelligence officer.  “[The captured rebel fighters] know him as the most senior after Kony until we got him.”

He added, “To us at the moment [Odhiambo] is immaterial because he is no longer a threat.”

Two women were found with the men and were freed, according to an army spokesman.

In a campaign to destroy the LRA, the Ugandan army is operating outside of its own borders.  The LRA was once largely concentrated in northern Uganda until a successful campaign by the army drove the group out.  The Ugandan army has since deployed to northern Democratic Republic of Congo, southern Sudan, and the CAR, where the LRA moved.

The LRA is scattered across dense forests and swamps, savannah, and deserts in a remote area, ideal locations for guerilla operations.

Army spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Felix Kulayigye reported that LRA Leader Joseph Kony was moving between the CAR and Sudan’s Darfur region in order to escape Ugandan army patrols.

“This was a New Year’s gift to Uganda,” said Lt. Col. Kulayigye.  “He was a notorious commander but his life has come to an end.”

A number of senior commanders in the LRA have been killed.  In November, Okello Kutti, another senior commander of the LRA, was killed.  In September, a top bodyguard to Kony was captured.

Last month, United Nations Human Rights Commissioner Navi Pillay demanded the capture of LRA leaders for crimes against humanity, including killings, torture, rape of hundreds of civilians, and abducting women and children for use as sex slaves and porters.

“[The carefully synchronized attacks on villages], and systematic and widespread human rights violations carried out by the LRA…may constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity,” said Pillay’s report.  “The international community, including governments in the region, should cooperate with the International Criminal Court (ICC) to search for, arrest, and surrender the LRA leaders accused of crimes against humanity.”

Kony and two other LRA leaders are wanted by the ICC on 33 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

A peace agreement was reached by rebel leaders and the Ugandan government in April 2008 but Kony has repeatedly failed to appear to sign the deal.

For more information, please see:

AFP – Ugandan Rebel Leader Killed in Cent.Africa Republic – 02 January 2010

BBC – Uganda Reports Killing LRA Commander Abudema in CAR – 02 January 2010

NY Times – Uganda Troops Kill a Rebel Leader – 02 January 2010

Author: Impunity Watch Archive