LRA’s Matsanga surrenders to govt and attacks Otunnu

The Uganda People’s Congress party yesterday refuted claims by former LRA spokesman that party President Olara Otunnu once promised to supply military uniforms and arms to the LRA rebel outfit.

Mr David Nyekorach Matsanga told the media in Nairobi on Friday that Mr Otunnu was not qualified to accuse President Museveni of funding the two-decade LRA insurgency in northern Uganda because the UPC chief had been sympathetic to the notorious rebels.
But UPC yesterday hit back, describing Mr Matsanga as a nonentity unworthy of their attention.

“…Matsanga has worked with every dictator; he has worked with Mugabe [Zimbabwe President] and now he wants to work with Museveni,” said Peter Walubiri, UPC’s hardliner and now party Treasurer.

Mr Walubiri alleged that Mr Matsanga could have received a pay cheque from Mr Museveni “to mudsling Otunnu.” But Mr Matsanga who was also chairman of LRA peace negotiating team, on Friday surrendered to government and received amnesty in Nairobi. Mr Matsanga was granted amnesty by the chairman of the Amnesty Commission, Justice Peter Onega.
After surrendering, Mr Matsanga turned his gun on Mr Otunnu accusing him of attacking President Museveni over the LRA war yet he [Otunnu] reportedly tried to supply the rebels with military uniforms and equipment.

He said he opted for amnesty because of the stability and the development brought in northern after the resettlement of the former IDPs. “I am the one who expeditiously worked on faster pace of the peace process on the LRA side in Juba and got the FPA ready for signature. I have now delivered peace to my people of Northern Uganda under the Juba Peace Agreement,” he said.

Intelligence sources, however, said by seeking amnesty, Mr Matsanga had foreseen that the anti-LRA bill recently passed by the US Congress would ensnare him if he did not cover his tracks.

Mr Matsanga said the recently passed law by the US Congress that calls for direct involvement of Americans in hunting for the rebels, was a serious blow to the rebels.
“I said I don’t want to be found there,” he said, “I have informed Gen. Kony about my decision and have therefore changed my phones and I don’t want to receive his calls.”
Mr Matsanga agreed: “… I would be a target by people like Luis Moreno-Ocampo [ICC prosecutor].”

Justice Onega told Matsanga that he was free to return home. After receiving that assurance, the hitherto critic of President Museveni, then heaped praise on the NRM regime saying it has attained 90 per cent in developing the nation.

He denounced UPC saying that his irreconcilable differences with Mr Otunnu had pushed him out. Sunday Monitor failed to get a comment from Mr Otunnu but his Personal Assistant, Robert Kanusu dismissed Mr Matsanga’s claims.

But Mr Matsanga also promised to expose individuals whom he said have pegged Museveni a war monger yet it’s the same people who facilitated the war in the north.