UNITED NATIONS: The Ugandan army remains committed to the hunt for the Lord's Resistance Army in Central African Republic despite claims it had suspended operations in the region, the UN said Friday.
The change of regime in Bangui has had "no impact" on the determination of Ugandan authorities to hunt down the LRA and its leader Joseph Kony, the UN said, citing remarks by African Union point man on the LRA, Francisco Madeira.
"There is no reason to consider any suspension of the participation of the UPDF (Ugandan military)," Madeira was quoted as saying following a meeting in Kampala on Wednesday between officials from the African Union, UN and Uganda.
The UN special representative to the Central African Republic, Abou Moussa, also vowed there would be no let up in the hunt for Kony.
"We must not give any chance to Joseph Kony and his fighters to believe that there is a reprieve and that they can continue to commit atrocities with impunity," Moussa said.
According to the UN, Madeira and Moussa also met US Ambassador to Uganda Scott DeLisi on Thursday who confirmed that US military advisors remained deployed throughout the region to help in the hunt for Kony.
The UN statement followed remarks by a Ugandan army spokesman on Wednesday who said operations against the LRA in Central Africa had been halted after Seleka rebels took control last month.
"We have temporarily suspended operations against the LRA until further notice," army spokesman Felix Kulayigye said. "We are not pulling our soldiers out of CAR but they are congregating at our bases."
LRA rebel leader Kony is believed to be hiding out in a remote area close to where the borders of CAR, Sudan and South Sudan meet.
Infamous for mutilating its victims and abducting children for use as fighters and sex slaves, the LRA has waged an insurgency against the Ugandan government for over 25 years.
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