A CULT-LIKE MOVEMENT WHICH HAS DEVASTATED NORTHERN UGANDA FOR 19 YEARS OPERATING FROM BASES IN SUDAN -- HAVE BEEN BASED IN GARAMBA SINCE THEY FIRST CROSSED INTO CONGO LATE LAST YEAR. EIGHT GUATEMALAN SPECIAL FORCES SOLDIERS IN THE U.N MISSION WERE KILLED IN JANUARY DURING A BOTCHED OPERATION TO CAPTURE AND KILL A SENIOR LRA OFFICER WHO IS WANTED BY THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT. UGANDAN PRESIDENT YOWERI MUSEVENI HAS SAID UGANDA WOULD NOT HESITATE TO SEND TROOPS INTO CONGO IF IT WAS ATTACKED BY LRA REBELS BASED THERE, WHILE DEFENCE MINISTER AMAMA MBABAZI TOLD THE U.N. SECURITY COUNCIL THIS MONTH HE KNEW THE LRA WAS OPERATING IN CONGO AND PROPOSED HIS TROOPS BE ALLOWED TO PURSUE THEM. THE UNITED NATIONS AND KINSHASA HAVE TURNED DOWN SEVERAL UGANDAN OFFERS TO CHASE THE LRA OVER THE BORDER IN THE PAST. CONGO IS STRUGGLING TO RECOVER FROM A FIVE-YEAR WAR THAT SUCKED IN SIX NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES -- INCLUDING UGANDA -- AND HAS KILLED 4 MILLION PEOPLE, MOSTLY FROM HUNGER AND DISEASE. THE LRA IS ONE OF A PLETHORA OF ARMED GROUPS CONTRIBUTING TO INSTABILITY IN CONGO'S EAST, COMPLICATING PREPARATIONS FOR THE FORMER BELGIAN COLONY'S FIRST FREE ELECTIONS IN MORE THAN 40 YEARS, DUE LATER THIS YEAR.
