Six ADF rebels killed, five guns recovered
Maj Gen Dick Olum, the Commander Mountain Division and Operation Shujaa in DR Congo. PHOTO | ALEX ASHABA
What you need to know:
- Maj Gen Dick Olum explained that three of the guns were recovered two days after the attack on June 16. 43 people, mainly students, were killed during the attack that occurred in the night.
The Commander of Operation Shujaa, Maj Gen Dick Olum, who is heading an operation to hunt for the suspected Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels who recently attacked Kasese District, says six rebels have been killed and five guns have so far been recovered.
He explained that three of the guns were recovered two days after the attack on June 16. 43 people, mainly students, were killed during the attack that occurred in the night.
“We exchanged gunfire with them [ADF] shortly after that incident and on Wednesday we killed about six of them, that is the group commanded by Abua-kasi. The good thing is that Maj Mbauta [Levy], the son of the soil (Kasese), is the one pursuing those ADF rebels to bring those children home,” he said.
Maj Gen Olum also revealed that one of the fire exchanges happened at the two rivers of Talia and Mwalika in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
He made the remarks on Friday while in Kasese together with Defence minister Vincent Bamulangaki Ssempijja.
UPDF spokesperson Big Gen Felix Kulayigye in an interview with this publication on June 20 said three students had escaped from rebels and returned to their parents in Kasese.
Maj Gen Olum explained that in one of its encounters with the rebels, they rescued one woman and three children.
“I think it was some confusion of miscommunication; as far as those kids being rescued, we hadn’t got that yet. The President called me and I told him exactly the same, I think it was a miscommunication of the woman and those three kids,” he said.
He has appealed to the people of Kasese to work closely with the UPDF and volunteer any information that could be vital in pursuing the rebels.
“I am confident that so far where we have reached, God is on our side, we are going to get those children,” he said.
Since the suspected ADF rebels attacked Kasese, several security officials have since rushed to Kasese to strengthen security intelligence in the area.
Among those who rushed include Security minister Maj Gen Jim Muhwezi, Defence minister Ssempijja and State minister for Higher Education John Chrysostom Muyingo.
On Friday, Mr Ssempijja assured the people of Kasese that the rebels would never cause mayhem in Uganda again because the UPDF has the capacity to destroy them.
“Some people lost hope and thought the country was on fire. Those people [ADF] cannot face the army and neither can they face the police. They choose to quietly go and kill innocent civilians. They are weak and should be condemned in the strongest terms. We are here to assure you that we are in control,” he said.
editorial @ug.nationmedia.com
