AFRICA/UGANDA - Joint offensive formed by Uganda, Congo, and South Sudan, against Ugandan LRA rebels in Congo

Kampala (Agenzia Fides) – The Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), which for 20 years has sown death and destruction in northern Uganda, has once again taken up arms.
“The Armed Forces of Uganda (UPDF), the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC), and South Sudan (SPLA), in a joint operation, on December 14, attacked terrorists of the LRA, led by Joseph Kony, in the Garamba Forest in the Democratic Republic of Congo,” a statement from the Ugandan army said. “The three armed forces were successful in attacking Kony's main camp, with the key word of Swahili, setting it on fire,” the press statement signed by the intelligence agents of the three armies said.
The importance that the intelligence agencies are giving to these declarations indicates that the Tripartite Fusion Cell (TFC), an organization formed by Uganda, the DRC, and Rwanda and that is in charge of a data bank on local armed bands (“negative forces” that oppose peace in the area of the Great Lakes), was involved in the preparation and execution. The TFC, headquartered in Kisangani, to the east of the DRC, has received government support from the USA (see Fides 28/5/2007).
It is a dramatic development, considering that at the end of November, Riek Machar, Vice-President of Sudan (with strong influence in South Sudan), in charge of mediation efforts between leaders of the LRA, Kony, and the Ugandan government, declared that there are strong indications that the leader of the Ugandan rebels has the intention of signing the repeatedly postponed peace accord that should have been signed on April 10, but at the last minute was cancelled (see Fides 11/4/2008).
The LRA guerrillas are active not only in northern Uganda, but also in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo (where its leaders were taking refuge), in Sudan, and even in the Central African Republic. In June 2008, a “regional war” was declared against the LRA (see Fides 4/6/2008), with the participation of the Ugandan, Congolese, and South Sudan armed forces, supported by the UN Mission in Congo (MONUC). The true offense, however, began in December, after the intent to re-open negotiations. The LRA reacted to the military operation by affirming that it is a violation of the ceasefire signed by the government and “a tragedy for the country.” (LM) (Agenzia Fides 15/12/2008)