Central African Republic: Ugandan troops capture 19 Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebels
Joseph Kony, LRA’s chief, is wanted by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity [Getty Images]
Uganda troops have captured 19 Lord’s Resistance Army rebels in Central African Republic (CAR), the African Union said, a sizeable victory in the hunt for the elusive rebel group.
The Ugandan army is leading a US-backed African Union force tasked with capturing the LRA’s leaders, several of whom are wanted for war crimes by the International Criminal Court in The Hague.
The “19 members of the LRA belonging to the group commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Obur Nyeko, alias Okuti, defected and reported to a detachment of the Ugandan contingent,” on December 6, the African Union said in a statement released late Tuesday.
The fighters surrendered with their guns and ammunition, it added.