And Then There Were Three

The Lord's Resistance Army appears to be imploding:

The deputy leader of Uganda's rebel Lord's Resistance Army is missing, feared dead, after reports of a falling out with LRA leader Joseph Kony.

I don't think feared is quite the word they want here. Why would anyone mourn the death of an LRA leader?

A spokesman for the Ugandan Peoples' Defence Forces, Lt Chris Magezi, told the BBC that Vincent Otti, his wife and children were killed weeks ago.

He is one of four LRA leaders indicted by the International Criminal Court.

The LRA were notorious for mutilating victims and kidnapping children to be fighters, porters and sex slaves.

Officials in southern Sudan usually in close contact with Mr Otti confirm they have not had any recent communication and for a month he has failed to get in touch with Ugandan FM radio stations that he usually contacted regularly.

Security sources quoted in the state-owned New Vision newspaper say Okot Odhiambo has been appointed as LRA deputy.

Ugandan military sources say they have intercepted satellite telephone calls made by Mr Kony, indicating that his men had killed Mr Otti in a power struggle within the LRA.

Asked by the BBC's Focus on Africa if the Ugandan government and army could be "planting stories to make it seem that the LRA was in disarray", Lt Mwezi said this was "not in their interest" and they were "focussed on the peace talks".

And he insisted that the army had "reasonable grounds" to believe the reports of Mr Otti's death...

[T]he UPDF Fourth Brigade says it has obtained information from the LRA base camp in Garamba in north-eastern Democratic Republic of Congo that Mr Otti was executed by firing squad, along with three others, about three weeks ago.

The state-owned New Vision newspaper says it has obtained an intelligence brief which says "Otti was killed on or around 8 October 2007 during a high command meeting that Kony convened at his base camp in Garamba".

"Kony also feared that Otti was dealing with individuals who wanted to eliminate him and take over the leadership," the newspaper adds.

Comments

[J.Cassian]

Sounds like the last days of the Khmer Rouge when they started bickering among themselves. Unlucky old Otti got to play the part of Son Sen. Perhaps Kony will soon be overthrown by his own supporters followed by a ridiculous show trial for the benefit of TV. Honour among war criminals, eh?