Retired cleric hails army for peace role
UPDF officers march in Gulu Town during the Tarehe Sita Day celebrations in January. The army was hailed for being receptive towards LRA abductees. PHOTO BY CISSY MAKUMBI
Gulu.
The Retired Bishop of Gulu Diocese, the Rt Rev Nelson Onono Onweng, has asked residents to salute the UPDF for their role in ending the two-decade LRA insurgency in the region.
In an interview with the Daily Monitor at the weekend, Bishop Onweng said it was a concerted effort that saw peace restored.
Confidence
“Although the UPDF did not fully protect civilians who lost lives and property, that should not make us lose hope and trust in them,” he said.
American Col Kevin Leahy, the commander of Special Operations Command Forward Central Africa, hailed the army for creating safe avenues for LRA fighters to defect.
“UPDF has been very receptive to the LRA abductees who returned from captivity and treated them like brothers without finger pointing at them,” Col Leahy said.
“This is one aspect that rarely happens especially considering the fact the LRA committed a lot of atrocities both to the locals and the UPDF,” the Central Africa commander of Special Operations Command added.
