{UAH} CONGO, AND NOW SOUTH SUDAN
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Deployment of the NRA had not sought parliamentary approval because the NRA is Museveni's private security company. Kazini's brother, Col Jet Mwebaze established an organisation responsible for recruitment which he named Renaisance 2000 whose offices were located on Butikiro Road just below Uphill Hotel in Mengo. NRA veterans who had been demoblised a few years back were moblised and ferried to the Congo. Street children, drug addicts, rogues and vgabonds in the city were moblised and ferried to a makeshift military training ground in Nabingola, Mubende that was under the command of Capt Kashumba. Also recruitment in some other parts of western region did take place for the same purpose. After a short crash programe, the recruits would be ferried into the Congo.
A number of NRA officers who had all along been on Katebe found an opportunity to resume active service in the Congo. That is how Ikondere resurfaced on the military scene. However, Kaziini had his own preference for a particular calibre of Commanders that he took to Congo. He prefered stooges who would ensure personal loyality to him. Very many benefited in terms of wealth and promotion. LT Dula Mawa of Military Police who had waylaid and robbed trucks on Karuma Pakwach Road ended up in Congo where he earned the rank of Lt. Colnel. He is now the LC 5 Chairman for Kasese District. Lt. Segamwenge who had earlier on robbed Congolese coffee in transit earned a rank of Lt. Colnel. Capt. Byaruhanga who had retired from the NRA after swindling billion of shillings meant for the African National Congress (ANC) training camp in Kaweweta where he had been the Commandant. He was killed in Kisangani during the NRA/RPF clashes in Kisangani. The list is endless. The few other upright officers like Diba Sentongo, Edson Muzoora etc who had strayed into the Congo operation under Kazini's command had to suffer Kaziini's brunt. All the NRA original senior officers had been eliminated from the Congo operation because of Kazini's dislike for that category due to inferiority complex.
At the Army headquarters in Bombo, provision of resources for the Congo operation was accorded top priority but also open to abuse. That is how the likes of Capt Dan Byakutaaga came to take charge of all the finances meant for the Congo operation. During the NRA interim administration in the western region, both Byakutaaga and Kaziini had been junior officers and aides to Saleh. The two were in charge of the security of Museveni's mother in Mbarara and always seen at the back of the old woman's pick up truck. The Chief of Staff, Brig Kazini visibly took over command of the entire NRA. The Army Commander JJ Odong became a mere onlooker. Kaziini's Aide, Lt. Nuwe Kyepaka behaved as the Assistant Chief of Staff. In the army headquarters, a mere sight of Nuwe would send even senior officers panicking. During the Kisangani clashes with RPA, the innapropriate orders from Nuwe to his seniors greatly contributed to the NRA's poor performance.
A rear base was established at the Old Airport in Entebbe manned by John Kasaija. Ukranian Antonov aircrafts were contracted to ferry troops, logistics and business cargo to and from Congo. Leading Lebanese Mineral dealers like Talal and Gasam entered into business paternship with Gen. Saleh and became the major mineral dealers in the Congo. Private individuals with close links to the NRA like Sam Engola won lucrative business concessions in the Congo. During the Kisangani clashes, Engola narowly survived capture by the RPA. Internal Security Organisation (ISO) also jumped into the fray. It ran a commercial air service called Bogoro managed by a one Lt Bintabara. Ben Rwabutara and David Rura while stationed in Goma for liaison purposes made big economic fortunes. Also, ISO's Lt Victor Twebaze of Operation Rabit took charge of gadgets for intercepting enemy radio communication. After the Congo operation, Victor did not return to ISO as Kazini had promoted him to a Battallion Commander. The use of fake US dollars for paying soldier's salaries and as a medium of exchange for commercial transactions benefited a few highly placed individuals.
The NRA occupation spread to much of north eastern, northern and north western Congo border with Congo Brazavile, CAR and Sudan. It covered major commercial centres like Kisangani, Beni, Bunia, Mahagi, Isiro, Buta, Gemena, Bumba, Businga, Gbadolite, Lisala, Basankusu etc. In all these areas, there had been no fighting at all save for a brief clash with the Chadian troops at Gemena. With the major focus on Congo, inside Uganda the LRA had an opportunity to strengthen itself. The NRA never interacted with ADF throughout the Congo operation. Instead, the ADF had intesfied its urban terrorism in Kampala. The NRA in Congo only got three Rwandese Hutu young boys who were detained in Makindye Barracks for many years before handing them over to ICRC in 2005.
INFORMATION IS POWER.
A number of NRA officers who had all along been on Katebe found an opportunity to resume active service in the Congo. That is how Ikondere resurfaced on the military scene. However, Kaziini had his own preference for a particular calibre of Commanders that he took to Congo. He prefered stooges who would ensure personal loyality to him. Very many benefited in terms of wealth and promotion. LT Dula Mawa of Military Police who had waylaid and robbed trucks on Karuma Pakwach Road ended up in Congo where he earned the rank of Lt. Colnel. He is now the LC 5 Chairman for Kasese District. Lt. Segamwenge who had earlier on robbed Congolese coffee in transit earned a rank of Lt. Colnel. Capt. Byaruhanga who had retired from the NRA after swindling billion of shillings meant for the African National Congress (ANC) training camp in Kaweweta where he had been the Commandant. He was killed in Kisangani during the NRA/RPF clashes in Kisangani. The list is endless. The few other upright officers like Diba Sentongo, Edson Muzoora etc who had strayed into the Congo operation under Kazini's command had to suffer Kaziini's brunt. All the NRA original senior officers had been eliminated from the Congo operation because of Kazini's dislike for that category due to inferiority complex.
At the Army headquarters in Bombo, provision of resources for the Congo operation was accorded top priority but also open to abuse. That is how the likes of Capt Dan Byakutaaga came to take charge of all the finances meant for the Congo operation. During the NRA interim administration in the western region, both Byakutaaga and Kaziini had been junior officers and aides to Saleh. The two were in charge of the security of Museveni's mother in Mbarara and always seen at the back of the old woman's pick up truck. The Chief of Staff, Brig Kazini visibly took over command of the entire NRA. The Army Commander JJ Odong became a mere onlooker. Kaziini's Aide, Lt. Nuwe Kyepaka behaved as the Assistant Chief of Staff. In the army headquarters, a mere sight of Nuwe would send even senior officers panicking. During the Kisangani clashes with RPA, the innapropriate orders from Nuwe to his seniors greatly contributed to the NRA's poor performance.
A rear base was established at the Old Airport in Entebbe manned by John Kasaija. Ukranian Antonov aircrafts were contracted to ferry troops, logistics and business cargo to and from Congo. Leading Lebanese Mineral dealers like Talal and Gasam entered into business paternship with Gen. Saleh and became the major mineral dealers in the Congo. Private individuals with close links to the NRA like Sam Engola won lucrative business concessions in the Congo. During the Kisangani clashes, Engola narowly survived capture by the RPA. Internal Security Organisation (ISO) also jumped into the fray. It ran a commercial air service called Bogoro managed by a one Lt Bintabara. Ben Rwabutara and David Rura while stationed in Goma for liaison purposes made big economic fortunes. Also, ISO's Lt Victor Twebaze of Operation Rabit took charge of gadgets for intercepting enemy radio communication. After the Congo operation, Victor did not return to ISO as Kazini had promoted him to a Battallion Commander. The use of fake US dollars for paying soldier's salaries and as a medium of exchange for commercial transactions benefited a few highly placed individuals.
The NRA occupation spread to much of north eastern, northern and north western Congo border with Congo Brazavile, CAR and Sudan. It covered major commercial centres like Kisangani, Beni, Bunia, Mahagi, Isiro, Buta, Gemena, Bumba, Businga, Gbadolite, Lisala, Basankusu etc. In all these areas, there had been no fighting at all save for a brief clash with the Chadian troops at Gemena. With the major focus on Congo, inside Uganda the LRA had an opportunity to strengthen itself. The NRA never interacted with ADF throughout the Congo operation. Instead, the ADF had intesfied its urban terrorism in Kampala. The NRA in Congo only got three Rwandese Hutu young boys who were detained in Makindye Barracks for many years before handing them over to ICRC in 2005.
INFORMATION IS POWER.
Viele GruBe
Robukui
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