Lendu reportedly surrendering arms to Ugandan army

Lendu fighters who have been engaged in a bloody conflict with their Hema neigbours in the Ituri district of northeastern DRC have surrendered their arms to the Ugandan army, the army spokesman told IRIN on Wednesday. “The Lendu have been surrendering their arms, mainly bows, arrows, spears and a few rifles to our units in the area,” the spokesman, Captain Shaban Bantariza, said. He said the move followed negotiations to “convince them that killing each other is not a solution”. “We shall use the same method to disarm other groups in eastern DRC,” he added.

Bantariza also confirmed that the Ugandan army had appointed Colonel Peter Kerim as the liaison officer to oversee reconciliation between the Lendu and the Hema. “Yes, Colonel Peter Kerim is in charge of our unit at Phaida on the border with DRC to make sure the conflict in Ituri does not spill over into Uganda.” Last month, the Associated Press quoted an aid agency active in the area, Christian Blind Mission (CMB), which alleged Kerim was training and arming Lendus with profits he had made from sale of coffee.