Efforts by the Uganda People's Defense Force (UPDF) in hunting down rebels of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) have started to pay off with an estimated number of rebels reducing to between 500 to 600 from the original figure of about 7,000 in 2002.

A new military report said the UPDF's operation since 2002 when it launched an operation code named "Operation Iron Fist" both in northern Uganda and southern Sudan, indicates that the government has now got an upper hand in fighting the LRA rebels, who are considered as one of the most notorious rebel groups the African continent has ever had.

The UPDF's Chief of Defense Forces Gen. Aronda Nyakairima said early this week, while releasing the report dubbed "Campaign Against LRA Terrorism in Northern Uganda 2002-2005" that the UPDF has been able to mount lightening strikes against the LRA in both regions.

This week alone, the UPDF has killed over 23 rebels recovering six uniforms and 10 sub-machine-guns.

On Christmas Eve, Brig. Joseph Kapere, a top LRA commander, was killed while heading for a meeting with another commander Brig. Lapaicho. TURBULENT PAST

Joseph Kony, the leader of the LRA, took over the leadership of a defeated rebel group, the Holy Spirit Movement, which consisted of mainly soldiers in the country's former army, Uganda National Liberation Army.

Initially, the LRA operated in northern Uganda until 1994, when they made contacts with the Khartoum government. Subsequently, Kony relocated most of his fighters to southern Sudan in the bases that the Sudan government provided.

By 2002, the LRA estimated to be approximately 3,000 armed fighters and around 4,000 others in families and unarmed combatants. They have been fighting the Ugandan government troops for years that has left tens of thousands of people dead and over 1.4 million people living in congested displaced persons camps.

UN agencies estimate that the LRA has kidnapped around 20,000 children since 1987 for use as soldiers and sex slaves. The group performs abductions primarily from the Acholi people, who have borne the brunt of the 19-year LRA campaign.

The insurgency has been mainly contained to the region known as Acholiland, consisting of the districts of Kitgum, Gulu, and Pader, though since 2002 violence has overflowed into other districts. The LRA has also operated across the porous border region with southern Sudan, subjecting Sudanese civilians to its horrific tactics. CORDON, SEARCH AND DESTROY OPERATION

In 2002, the Ugandan and Sudanese governments signed a landmark protocol which allowed the UPDF to move and attack all LRA identifiable bases in Sudan in order to rescue thousands of children in the LRA camps of Bin Rwot, Lubangatek, Kempacho and Lalar as well as Kony's farm.

The protocol marked the launch of Operation Iron Fist which included night and day operations of cordon, search and destroy. During the operations, the Ugandan army used the infantry backed by air power to strike rebel hideouts.

"The use of foot patrol soldiers, backed by helicopter gunships has helped us in destroying the LRA," the northern army spokesman Lt. Chris Magezi said in a recent interview with Xinhua.

This hot pursuit on the LRA has continued to yield results. Recent military statistics indicate that 17,779 captives have been rescued in various operations since 2002.

According to the army, due to the killing and defection of various senior commanders, the enemy command structure has broken down.

Since 2002, 2,995 rebels have defected while 801 were captured and a total of 2,922 sub-machine-guns have been recovered in various battles. The weapons included those that were captured when the army attacked the LRA's main camps of Bin Rwot and Lubangatek, whose value was estimated to be around 3 billion shillings (1.6 million US dollars).

The signing of the peace agreement between the Sudan government and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement increased cooperation between Uganda and Sudan. The two countries have an understanding of carrying out joint operations against the LRA. This cooperation coupled with Uganda's air power has been able to reduce the number of LRA fighters. This hot pursuit forced LRA's second in command Vincent Otti to flee southern Sudan crossing to northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

"With cooperation from Khartoum, the LRA is no more in southern Sudan," said Nyakairima.

There is also mounting pressure against the LRA in northeastern DRC. Just last week, the Congolese and Ugandan armies agreed to share intelligence information regarding some 50 LRA rebels who entered the DRC in September this year. This gives the rebels no resting time in Garamba National Park where they are suspected to be hiding.

The International Criminal Court also issued arrest warrants to the leadership of the LRA to answer for the war crimes they have committed in their 19-year rebellion against the government.

Analysts said that it is this hunting down that has greatly reduced the number of atrocities carried out by the rebels in northern Uganda. This is increasing speculation that this is likely to be the end of the LRA rebellion that has caused much suffering to the people of northern Uganda and undermined the growth of Uganda's economy.

Source: Xinhua