KAMPALA, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) -- The Ugandan military late on Wednesday completed the withdrawal of 2,500 troops who have been hunting the notorious rebel group, Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) in the Central African Republic (CAR), a spokesperson said here on Thursday.
Lt. Col. Deo Akiiki, the deputy spokesperson of Uganda People's Defense Force, told Xinhua that the last batch of the troops, under the contingent commander, Brig. Richard Otto entered into the East African country on Wednesday.
"We have completed our withdrawal from CAR. The last group and our equipment from CAR safely crossed into the country yesterday evening," said Akiiki.
"The LRA has been degraded. We don't expect them to reorganize and rebuild. We also have left CAR forces and MINUSCA troops [United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic]. They will be able to deal and overwhelm any threat by the LRA," he said.
The Ugandan military in April this year begun the pullout of its 2,500 strong contingent from African Union Regional Task Force hunting the elusive fugitive leader, Joseph Kony, wanted by International Criminal Court for war crimes.
Uganda's troops and U.S. military advisors ended their six year manhunt for the notorious rebel outfit holed up in the jungles of the CAR and northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), premised on the realization that the mission to neutralize the LRA was successfully achieved.
Security experts argue that the withdrawal will allow the LRA time to regroup and reorganize themselves to carry out attacks and abduction of the civilians.
The LRA is a Ugandan rebel outfit that was forced out of the country in 2006. It fled to neighboring South Sudan and then to DRC and CAR. Enditem
