Post date: Sep 18, 2012 10:23:11 PM
The AU force aims to coordinate soldiers already hunting for the LRA from Uganda, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Central African Republic.
Led by Joseph Kony, a self-styled mystique leader, the LRA has been waging a brutal campaign of abductions, rapes and defilement in a lightly governed remote patch of jungle straddling the borders of Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan since it was ejected from Northern Uganda in 2005.
Regional armies integrated into an Africa Union force to hunt down Lords Resistance Army.
YAMBIO, SOUTH SUDAN (SEPTEMBER 18, 2012)(REUTERS) - An African Union (AU) backed force officially assumed command of operations against the notorious Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) on Tuesday (September 18) but officials said a scarcity of resources and unresolved disagreements over troop deployments still posed major impediments.
The LRA's notoriety was cast in a global spotlight early this year after a video highlighting its brutality became an instant internet sensation and was viewed by tens of millions of people.
At a command handover ceremony in Yambio, AU's special envoy on the LRA, Francisco Madeira, said DRC had still not contributed troops but some commitments had been made and said the force requires assistance to help it function properly.
"We need more support, I don't have to elaborate on these because my predecessor has done this so well, we need support in terms of means of transport, communication, medicine, combat rations and uniforms for the troops tracking the LRA, this is particularly important and critical and most urgent for the central African troops who handed over their contingent despite the challenges facing them," said Madeira.
Although all the regional armies have been involved in fighting the LRA, it's the Ugandan army that has pursued him up to the Central African Republic, where he's currently believed to be hiding.
At the same ceremony, Uganda's defence minister, Chrispus Kiyonga, said there were still disagreements over areas of operation by troops from different countries.
"We are yet to fully agree on how this troops will operate because now they are going to be one force, a regional task force with its commander, there are two concepts, there are people who think that the SPLA should only work on the side of Sudan, that the army of central African republic should only work there, like that up to DRC but there is the other concept that some of us support that once there is one unified force, coordinated force then it should go wherever kony is, we think that way, it will be more effective," Kiyonga said.
Kiyonga said the latest intelligence indicated LRA was now down to 200 guns and that the entire group was numbering about 500 people including women and children in rebel captivity.
U.S. President Barack Obama injected momentum in anti-LRA efforts last October when he sent 100 Special Forces to help provide intelligence and training support to the regional armies and the capture of a top LRA commander, Ceaser Achellam inspired hopes the capture of Kony himself was imminent.