Lango Web

 By Robert Egwea

Okot Odhiambo

Okot Odhiambo, who is alleged to have headed the massacre of over 300 civilians in Barlony, Lango, Northern Uganda in 2004 is now in Ugandan custody following his arrest about 2 weeks ago as he tried to escape to Central African Republic, according to UPDF spokesperson Major Felix Kulyaigire. Click HERE for video about the arrest.

State-owned radio in Uganda reported the arrest on January 28, 2009. Around the same time a number of agencies reported that Odhiambo had defected to the UPDF.

The reports have not been independently verified, but the people of northern Uganda that we spoke to have hailed the arrest as very good news. Northern Ugandans have been subjected to extremely barbaric atrocities believed to have been committed by the LRA for over 20 years.

Some humanitarian organisations say the LRA commander is still negotiating his surrender, but Ugandan military intelligence sources have confirmed that the man has been in Ugandan custody since around January 28, 2009.

Ugandan Attorney General, Dr. Khiddu Makubuya, on Monday said the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) second-in-command, Okot Odhiambo, would be handed over to the ICC for trial, a strong indication that Odhiambo is already in Ugandan custody.

Makubuya dismissed reports that President Yoweri Museveni had promised amnesty to the rebel commander, saying it was necessary that the victims of Odhiambo’s heinous acts see him face the law.

“Ugandans will recall that Okot Odhiambo is one of those individuals suspected to be responsible for some of the gruesome atrocities committed during the conflict,” Makubuya said.

Kony trapped

Meanwhile, various agencies have reported that LRA rebel leader Joseph Kony and about 250 fighters have been trapped in the jungles of DRC with no escape route.

A Congolese government spokesperson, Lambert Mende, said the fighters are holed up in the swampy forest in Congo's Garamba National Park and have 'no way out except surrender'.

Matsanga is now irrelevant

The military offensive on the LRA by allied forces of Uganda, DRC and Southern Sudan that commenced on Decemvber 14, 2008 has now rendered LRA Chief Negotiator David Matsanga irrelevant.

Last month Matsanga wrote a letter to the Presidents of DRC, Uganda and Southern Sudan appealing for dialogue but the heads of state have not responded to the letter. Instead the allied forces have continued pounding the rebels deep into the jungles of Congo with increased ferocity. Matsanga’s role in the peace process apparently became irrelevant well before the December strike on LRA bases.

Most people who know Matsanga well said over a year ago that Matsanga would not deliver peace to northern Uganda and that he was in the Juba talks just to make money. Some sources close to the LRA have denounced Matsanga and maintained that Matsanga actually has not been having contacts with Joseph Kony and therefore grossly mislead the Juba peace negotiators.

The LRA ended all contacts with David Matsanga long ago, according to Miss Abalo and Justine Labeja. 

However, Matsanga has maintained that he is still the official chief negotiator for LRA and that he is still in touch with Joseph Kony. In a recent mail to Lango Web, Matsanga appealed for dialogue, stressing that military solution would fail to bring peace to the people of northern Uganda.

End of a brutal era?

The LRA began its rebellion against Kampala more than two decades ago and is accused of committing atrocities against civilians in northern Uganda, south Sudan, northeastern DR Congo and the Central African Republic.

The recent offensive against the rebels by the joint forces of Uganda, DRC and Southern Sudan could bring to an end one of the most brutal and mysterious rebel groups in modern times.