KINSHASA, Congo - The United Nations
peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has threatened
to attack Uganda's Lords Resistance Army (LRA) should the rebels cold-shoulder
peace talks.
It is the first time since its formation that the UN force,
popularly known as MONUC, is issuing an attack threat to the LRA. In 2006,
Guatemalan peacekeepers who were part of MONUC were targeted and killed by LRA
rebels in a restive part of the DRC.
The UN force is now set to establish a base in Dungu, which
is in eastern DRC to deal decisively with the Ugandan rebels, according to the
MONUC peacekeeping force's head of regional unit, Mr. Gani Are.
"We have a military plan for the LRA and we are only
waiting for Kinshasa to signal us that they need help and we will get into
action. We are deploying peacekeepers in Dungu with a focus on LRA
movements," Gani said.
Since setting up base in DRC jungles, LRA rebels have been
crossing between Southern Sudan and the Central African Republic via Dungu, a
loophole MONUC is now set to close.
Gani was addressing a regional conference on the Great Lakes
region on peace and security when he made the statement.
While MONUC is mandated by the Nairobi and the Ngurdoto
Agreement to flush out the LRA from the DRC, it needs blessing from the
Congolese government in Kinshasa to succeed.
The governments of Uganda and the DRC signed an agreement
last year that tasked the two governments to flush out all rebel forces
operating within their territories.
Earlier this month, LRA rebel chief Joseph Kony refused to
show up at the signing ceremony of a historic peace agreement with Ugandan
President Yoweri Museveni, with the rebel leader fearing arrest and charges of
war crimes.
