Ringleader in Zombo Army Detach Attack Surrenders to UPDF
In March 2020, a group of men armed with machetes, bows and arrows raided a Uganda People’s Defense Forces [UPDF] detach in Oduk Village, Zombo District in West Nile Sub-region.
The seemingly well-planned attack by the assailants resulted in the killing of five soldiers while nine huts were razed down and three AK47 assault rifles were stolen from the army detach by the attackers.
Now, the mastermind of the attack has surrendered to the UPDF.
According to the Senior Presidential Advisor on Special Operations and Commander Land Forces Lt Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the ring leader surrendered four days ago.
"Four days ago the so-called 'Colonel Atochon', Commander of the rebel group that attacked our troops in Zombo in March of last year surrendered to UPDF. A few days before that the ADF terrorist cell that attacked General Katumba was crushed by Uganda Police. Uganda ni Hatari!" Gen Kainerugaba tweeted Thursday morning.
The CLF did not delve into the details but following the attack last year, UPDF soldiers pursued and eliminated at least 17 attackers and captured 26, some with bullet wounds.
This was followed by the arrest of a witch doctor identified as Ovoya believed to have misled the criminals into attacking the UPDF detach.
The attackers were killed during fierce gunfire with UPDF soldiers who pursued them in Konga village, Patek parish in Jangukuru sub county about 40 kilometers away from the Zombo town council army detach.
The attackers, armed with machetes, bows and arrows invaded the army detach killed three UPDF soldiers and torched several huts before fleeing.
Available information shows that some of the people behind the attack on the UPDF base were former fighters who had been given amnesty by the government.
The then deputy army spokesperson, Lt.Col.Deo Akiiki, said the assailants were “misled” by Congolese elements seeking guns to use for criminal activities in Eastern Congo.
“The assailants were mobilized by some group who were recently given amnesty by the government including one Ovoya, a witchdoctor and other ring leaders like Atochon, Oketcha, Openji, Openjuruanda and UPDF veteran, Corporal Bosco Tonifa,” Akiiki said in a statement in March last year.
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