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Thread: COIN case: LRA Lords Resistance Army

  1. #61
    Council Member davidbfpo's Avatar
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    Default Uganda uses ex-LRA to hunt LRA

    Quote Originally Posted by carl View Post
    Here is a link to a New York Times story and video about the Ugandan army's continuing effort to kill the LRA.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/11/wo...ica/11lra.html
    Carl,

    I was struck by the reported use of ex-LRA members to hunt their former comrades:
    In an unorthodox strategy that could help end this seemingly pointless war, the Ugandan Army is deploying special squads of experienced killers to track down the L.R.A.’s leader...These soldiers...are former L.R.A. fighters themselves, and just about all of them were abducted as children. They recently surrendered... the decision was the Ugandans’ and that in this case, as one American officer put it, “these guys may be some of the best they got.”

    The battlefield statistics seem to bear this out. In the past 18 months, American officials say, the Ugandan Army has killed or captured more than half of Mr. Kony’s men, including his finance and communications officers, as well as several other high-ranking commanders.
    I don't recall seeing this before; whilst it is a standard COIN tactic having read many of the Rhodesian threads of late perhaps I was more alert when reading this.

    Plus the NYT video links failed for me.
    davidbfpo

  2. #62
    Council Member carl's Avatar
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    David:

    Maybe this link will work. It goes directly to the video.

    http://video.nytimes.com/video/2010/...html?th&emc=th

    I wonder it they have tried or if it would be practicable to use Pygmy trackers in the effort. Those guys are pretty good.
    "We fight, get beat, rise, and fight again." Gen. Nathanael Greene

  3. #63
    Council Member davidbfpo's Avatar
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    Default Video link OK

    Carl,

    Thanks that link worked and yes the pilot footage is intriguing.
    davidbfpo

  4. #64
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    Default Must read

    The NEW ICG report on the LRA. A MUST READ

    http://www.crisisgroup.org/~/media/F...ng%20Kony.ashx

  5. #65
    Council Member M-A Lagrange's Avatar
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    Uganda Army Seeks More Funding To Flush LRA Rebels Out of Congo, CAR

    Publié le 06 Mai 2010 Copyright © 2010 Dowjones - KAMPALA Uganda -(Dow Jones)-

    The Ugandan army wants the government to increase its budget allocation to enable it to pursue and flush out remnants of the notorious rebels of Lord's Resistance Army from northeastern Congo and the Central African Republic, Uganda's defense minister said.
    Crispus Kiyonga said in a ministerial presentation to Parliament Wednesday that the army requires an additional budget allocation of 25 billion Ugandan shillings ($12.5 million) in the current fiscal year ending in June to boost its logistical supplies and pursue the LRA in the resource-rich areas.
    "This funding is required as a matter of urgency; the LRA is still active in Congo and the Central African Republic," he said, adding that the money would be spent to buy soldiers' uniforms, medicine and arms.
    The Ugandan army has already been allocated UGX457 billion for the current fiscal year.
    The LRA has waged an insurgency, targeting mainly civilians in northern Uganda, northeastern Congo as well as the Central African Republic for over two decades and its leader, Joseph Kony, is wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes.
    According to analysts, the continued presence of Ugandan rebels in the volatile eastern and northeastern areas of Congo is a threat to security in Uganda's oil-rich Lake Albert basin, where commercial oil production is slated to start later next year.
    Mediators are also trying to convince the remnants of the Allied Democratic Forces, which has bases in eastern Congo, to sign a peace accord with government ahead of planned oil production. In 2007, the ADF invaded the oil region but was swiftly repulsed by the Ugandan army.
    http://www.easybourse.com/bourse/act...congo-car.html

  6. #66
    Council Member M-A Lagrange's Avatar
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    US lawmakers pass legislation to end LRA rebels atrocities

    "I urge President Obama to sign this bill into law and quickly develop a plan to stop Joseph Kony and the LRA from committing further atrocities by bringing a lasting resolution to this conflict," said Senators Russ Feingold who is one of the Congressmen who introduced the bill.
    "The removal of Kony and his top leadership would decapitate this group. This legislation ensures US leadership in making that happen. The day can’t come soon enough," said Rep. Ed Royce, a former Africa subcommittee chairman.
    The House of Representatives passed the Lord’s Resistance Army Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act of 2009 (S.1067) by voice vote. This vote constitutes the most significant action Congress has taken to date to end the LRA’s long reign of terror and restore lasting peace for the central African communities devastated by war.
    http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article35064

  7. #67
    Council Member M-A Lagrange's Avatar
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    Obama signs US law to help Uganda fight LRA rebels
    May 25th, 2010
    by AfricaTimes.
    President Barack Obama on Monday signed a law aimed at helping Uganda and its neighbors combat the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), a rebel group that has brutalized Central Africa for decades.
    Obama called the LRA’s actions — killing, raping, kidnapping children to serve as child soldiers — “an affront to human dignity” that must be stopped.
    The Lord’s Resistance Army Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act of 2009 is designed to provide humanitarian aid to Uganda and neighboring states, to support regional efforts to end the conflict and to bring LRA leaders to justice.
    “The legislation crystallizes the commitment of the United States to help bring an end to the brutality and destruction that have been a hallmark of the LRA across several countries for two decades,” he said in a statement.
    The Ugandan rebel group has killed and abducted people on a regular basis for the last 23 years, from Uganda, Sudan, Central African Republic and Democratic Republic of Congo, Human Rights Watch noted in a report in March.
    The U.N. says the LRA killed more than 1,200 people in a 10-month period throughout 2008 and 2009, while Human Rights Watch said a massacre in the remote northeast killed 321 people in December.
    The U.S. military’s African Command (Africom) provides communications, logistical and intelligence support for Uganda’s national army in its pursuit of the LRA.
    Reuters.
    http://www.africa-times-news.com/201...ht-lra-rebels/

    Bravo!

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    Quote Originally Posted by JMA View Post
    While I appreciate that motivation is 9 tenths of the matter would an investment into training the TGF troops not provide a better return on investment rather than bring in "foreign Christians" from Uganda to try to do the job?

    There are a number of options as to how this training may be approached and I am wondering what if anything along these lines has be attempted?
    This has been, and is being tried--as publicly evidenced by the abduction of two French security advisors last year. You're right, however, that security in Somalia--if it ever comes--will have to rest on Somali shoulders.

    It doesn't help, of course, that not all of the TFG troops are sure what side they are on, or necessarily care!

    As for the Ugandans, they have had some moderate (but limited) successes against the LRA. However, as northern Uganda has become increasingly less hospitable, the LRA have moved between south Sudan, DR Congo, and the CAR--which complicates things immensely.
    Last edited by davidbfpo; 07-23-2010 at 09:35 PM. Reason: Moved from a thread on Bombing in Kampala to here, a better home
    They mostly come at night. Mostly.


  9. #69
    Council Member carl's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by JMA View Post
    My comment on the Ugandan army is based on their inability in their own country to deal with LRA which apparently comprises a majority of child soldiers.
    I was told by Ugandan guy I know who was a recon platoon leader in one of the Ugandan factions during the 80s wars that the LRA should not be taken lightly. Child soldiers or no, stone cold evil or no, he said they know what they are doing.

    Also during late 2005 or early 2006, the LRA beat the brains out of a Guatemalan army unit, part of MONUC, that was trying to track them down. That happened in northeast DRC.
    Last edited by davidbfpo; 07-23-2010 at 09:36 PM. Reason: Moved from a thread on Bombing in Kampala to here, a better home
    "We fight, get beat, rise, and fight again." Gen. Nathanael Greene

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    Quote Originally Posted by carl View Post
    Also during late 2005 or early 2006, the LRA beat the brains out of a Guatemalan army unit, part of MONUC, that was trying to track them down. That happened in northeast DRC.
    January 2006--a Guatemalan Special Forces unit. They lost eight dead when they were ambushed by the LRA in Garamba National Park.
    Last edited by davidbfpo; 07-23-2010 at 09:36 PM. Reason: Moved from a thread on Bombing in Kampala to here, a better home
    They mostly come at night. Mostly.


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    Quote Originally Posted by Rex Brynen View Post
    January 2006--a Guatemalan Special Forces unit. They lost eight dead when they were ambushed by the LRA in Garamba National Park.
    There seems to be little out there on the incident. How many were in this unit and had they acclimatised and orientated themselves to an African jungle?
    Last edited by davidbfpo; 07-23-2010 at 09:36 PM. Reason: Moved from a thread on Bombing in Kampala to here, a better home

  12. #72
    Council Member davidbfpo's Avatar
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    Default Pointer

    JMA,

    Try Google with: "Garamba National Park" + MONUC + Guatemala. That found over four hundred results and the first few pages show several potentially useful sites to check.
    Last edited by davidbfpo; 07-23-2010 at 09:36 PM. Reason: Moved from a thread on Bombing in Kampala to here, a better home
    davidbfpo

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    Quote Originally Posted by davidbfpo View Post
    JMA,

    Try Google with: "Garamba National Park" + MONUC + Guatemala. That found over four hundred results and the first few pages show several potentially useful sites to check.
    It seems an 80 man recce patrol (out of a force of 105) had a four hour contact with an armed force (thought to be the LRA) in which they suffered 8 KIA and 14 WIA (5 seriously)

    However, from this report in the 19 March report a Roman Catholic priest Father Wolgang Schonecke claimed that the majority of the dead bodies found at the scene of the ambush were those of Ugandan regular soldiers.

    Then from here: A British officer?

    Responding to the sound of gunshots, on January 23, Guatemalan UN peacekeepers, commanded by a British officer, went into Garamba National Park to fight the LRA. Instead, eight Guatemalan UN soldiers and 15 LRA were killed in the fighting, about 4km northwest of Aba town. Until that day, MONUC and the Kinshasa government did not admit that the LRA was in Congo. The UN in public statements did not officially identify the attackers as members of the LRA, although UN sources say they were almost certainly part of the group.
    Then the UN and others condemned the killing of the "peace-keepers" which is very weird as these troops were on a mission to find and kill LRA members.

    More questions than answers.
    Last edited by davidbfpo; 07-23-2010 at 09:36 PM. Reason: Moved from a thread on Bombing in Kampala to here, a better home

  14. #74
    Council Member M-A Lagrange's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by JMA View Post

    Then the UN and others condemned the killing of the "peace-keepers" which is very weird as these troops were on a mission to find and kill LRA members.

    More questions than answers.
    Well, actually it is widely agreed, shared and known that it was LRA. After this incident in 2006, LRA was labelled as "special forces" by the UN and no troops contributors did want to conduct any "find and ..." missions on LRA.

    This is way in 2008 and 2009 when the peace talk went wrong MONUC did not respond to LRA killings (800 civillians).
    Even more absurd, the MONUC HQ in Kisangany was dismanteled just several weeks before this happened.
    Last edited by davidbfpo; 07-23-2010 at 09:37 PM. Reason: Moved from a thread on Bombing in Kampala to here, a better home

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    Quote Originally Posted by M-A Lagrange View Post
    Well, actually it is widely agreed, shared and known that it was LRA. After this incident in 2006, LRA was labelled as "special forces" by the UN and no troops contributors did want to conduct any "find and ..." missions on LRA.

    This is way in 2008 and 2009 when the peace talk went wrong MONUC did not respond to LRA killings (800 civillians).
    Even more absurd, the MONUC HQ in Kisangany was dismanteled just several weeks before this happened.
    The LRA are equivalent to "special forces"? Not sure about that.

    Also not sure about what chance of success an 80 patrol would have in a strange and foreign jungle which the hunting grounds of the LRA.

    I would assume this operation was an aberration. And there is no military skill in killing 800 civilians.

    I need to try and find out more about the results of combat between the LRA and the Ugandan Army. I accept that the leadership of the LRA which has been there for years now has become wily and cunning and they know the terrain like the back of their hands. But that is about as far as I'm prepared to go on this.

  16. #76
    Council Member M-A Lagrange's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by JMA View Post
    The LRA are equivalent to "special forces"? Not sure about that.

    Also not sure about what chance of success an 80 patrol would have in a strange and foreign jungle which the hunting grounds of the LRA.

    I would assume this operation was an aberration. And there is no military skill in killing 800 civilians.

    I need to try and find out more about the results of combat between the LRA and the Ugandan Army. I accept that the leadership of the LRA which has been there for years now has become wily and cunning and they know the terrain like the back of their hands. But that is about as far as I'm prepared to go on this.
    JMA,

    Take the time to look at the LRA threat (Africa section): http://council.smallwarsjournal.com/...ead.php?t=7483. It is quite instructive with a lot of links to detailed reports.

    Personnaly, I do not think that LRA is a SF but they did kick the UN pretty hard.
    And yes, I do not think there is any courage and skills in killing women and children. That's why Kony needs to be put on trial and face what he did.

    But we are far from the Chabab bombing in Kampala.
    Last edited by davidbfpo; 07-23-2010 at 09:18 PM. Reason: Link to LRA thread added

  17. #77
    Council Member M-A Lagrange's Avatar
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    Default Is LRA back in the game?

    That’s a legitimate question viewing the last development:

    LRA rebels kill eight in South Sudan raid, local official saysAround six LRA fighters attacked the market village of Rii-Bodo at about 2:00 am (local time) on Saturday, 4 August, and killed civilians, said Lexon Amozai who is the state director of the Sudan Relief and Rehabilitation Commission in Western Equatoria State. The murders took place after an LRA ambush at the nearby Nahua stream.
    On Friday, the rebels launched a similar assault on the village of Gangura. "They killed eight people there, among them two women. There were no soldiers deployed there, so they attacked the civilians," Amozai said.
    http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article36198


    If LRA is on the survival mode and seems to be indestructible, some hints should let us think that things, in fact, are better than they look.
    First of all, the SPLA is reinforcing the military network to secure villages since one or two month. Not saying that SPLA is the best army in the area but at least their presence seems to be deterrent enough to force LRA to attack unprotected villages. In Uganda the civil defence did work.
    Secondly, the UPDF is still on the hunt.
    Is Khartoum supporting LRA? May be, but nothing is sure at this stage. Bashir does have a lot to loose in his partnership with US in supporting LRA.
    The last assumptions on LRA are that now it is a self sustained monster. And it does look like it is: no popular support, no territory, no political agenda (part from establishing the overwhelming ruling of Khony on earth…)…

    Khony announced he will launch a huge terror campaign. Former LRA said that they were abducting children to prepare it. Now they are no more abducting children but simply killing people. It seems that Khony has his troops reassembled yet. And it’s either a little early or too late to destabilise the referendum.
    Last weeks, Acholy civil representatives asked Reik Machir to restart negotiations with Khony. The answer was clear: NO. And Uganda will never accept that LRA comes back.

    My personal opinion (and I can be wrong on this) is that LRA is trying a final push to not been forgotten and be the complete looser of the Sudan peace process.
    Do they have a disturbing poweron Sudan 2011 referendum: certainly.
    Are they a major threat? They are more an annoying problem for everyone than anything. Cause: what will you do with them after January 2011. Killing them and catching Khony has not been that easy yet.

  18. #78
    Council Member davidbfpo's Avatar
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    Default Regional alliance - reason to be hopeful?

    A number of central African countries overwhelmed by the brutal attacks and mounting regional destabilization caused by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) have established a comprehensive plan to combat the rebel group. Ministers from Uganda, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Central African Republic agreed Friday in a meeting in Bangui, the capital of the latter, to create a joint military task force, centre of operations, and border patrol capacity, all to be supervised by a representative from the African Union.
    Leaving aside practicalities and the diplomatic achievement, who is paying for this?

    Just maybe the clue is in the closing sentences:
    In an interesting development, a recent piece of legislation passed by the US Senate and currently before the US House of Representatives requires the White House to ‘develop a regional strategy to protect civilians in central Africa from attacks by the LRA, work to apprehend the LRA leadership, and support economic recovery for northern Uganda’. It was passed unanimously, though it remains to be seen what effect any such policy will have on the conflict if enacted into law.
    Link:http://www.opendemocracy.net/opensec...80%99s-resista
    davidbfpo

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    Default Uganda funding

    The linked article seems a few months behind the times. S. 1067: Lord's Resistance Army Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act of 2009, was signed into law 24 May 2010, proving that we (US) have lost none of our Wilsonian rhetoric:

    A bill to support stabilization and lasting peace in northern Uganda and areas affected by the Lord's Resistance Army through development of a regional strategy to support multilateral efforts to successfully protect civilians and eliminate the threat posed by the Lord's Resistance Army and to authorize funds for humanitarian relief and reconstruction, reconciliation, and transitional justice, and for other purposes.
    Here are the Summary (CRS) and Full Text.

    The "Strategy Section" in the full text:

    SEC. 4. REQUIREMENT OF A STRATEGY TO SUPPORT THE DISARMAMENT OF THE LORD’S RESISTANCE ARMY.

    (a) Requirement for Strategy- Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall develop and submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a strategy to guide future United States support across the region for viable multilateral efforts to mitigate and eliminate the threat to civilians and regional stability posed by the Lord’s Resistance Army.

    (b) Content of Strategy- The strategy shall include the following:

    (1) A plan to help strengthen efforts by the United Nations and regional governments to protect civilians from attacks by the Lord’s Resistance Army while supporting the development of institutions in affected areas that can help to maintain the rule of law and prevent conflict in the long term.

    (2) An assessment of viable options through which the United States, working with regional governments, could help develop and support multilateral efforts to eliminate the threat posed by the Lord’s Resistance Army.

    (3) An interagency framework to plan, coordinate, and review diplomatic, economic, intelligence, and military elements of United States policy across the region regarding the Lord’s Resistance Army.

    (4) A description of the type and form of diplomatic engagement across the region undertaken to coordinate and implement United States policy regarding the Lord’s Resistance Army and to work multilaterally with regional mechanisms, including the Tripartite Plus Commission and the Great Lakes Pact.

    (5) A description of how this engagement will fit within the context of broader efforts and policy objectives in the Great Lakes Region.

    (c) Form- The strategy under this section shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified annex.
    To David's bottom line, the bill does not provide separate funding for these tasks. It states Congress's "sense" (a debatable issue) that up to $ 10 million US be spent annually by DoS from its general appropriations.

    SEC. 9. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON FUNDING.

    It is the sense of Congress that--

    (1) of the total amounts to be appropriated for fiscal year 2011 for the Department of State and foreign operations, up to $10,000,000 should be used to carry out activities under section 5; and

    (2) of the total amounts to be appropriated for fiscal year 2011 through 2013 for the Department of State and foreign operations, up to $10,000,000 in each such fiscal year should be used to carry out activities under section 7.
    Thus, "the check is in the mail" so to speak.

    I'd be curious about the views of others with knowledge and experience re: the capabilities of Uganda, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Central African Republic to form and effective military coalition.

    Regards

    Mike

  20. #80
    Council Member carl's Avatar
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    The main effect of a regional alliance I am guessing, would be just to give diplomatic cover to whomever actually does the the job. They have agreed to all kinds of things but I wonder if the main thing is they agree not to squawk about whatever kind of force is wandering around their territory.

    I don't know anything about the armed forces of the CAR or South Sudan. The FARDC is completely hopeless. The Ugandans have done well enough it seems over the past year or two. So it comes down to the Ugandans and extra logistical support that may be given by us. All a guess on my part.

    That strategy section of S. 1067 seems like it was copied from some international government textbook. There is nothing much out there, just people in villages living hand to mouth, tracks not roads-not much of anything. I don't know how all those points are going to apply in that part of the world.
    "We fight, get beat, rise, and fight again." Gen. Nathanael Greene

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