People's Redemption Army

The leader of the opposition party Forum For Democratic Change (FDC), Kizza Besigye , was arrested on November 14 , 2005 , accused of being the "political leader of the PRA", sparking demonstrations and violent riots. Besigye has denied any links with PRA, and has in the past accused the government of conjuring up the rebel group.

On November 9 , 2005 , the UN Special Envoy to the Great Lakes region, William Lacy Swing, implicated PRA as one of the foreign armed groups operating in eastern DRC Congo. FDC has petitioned the UN, protesting the statement. An FDC representative said, " statement by Swing, which alleges the existence of a shadowy rebel movement, has caused consternation and widespread concern, even antipathy towards the United Nations, among the people of Uganda," and added that "[s pecifically, the people of Uganda would like to know the strength, location, leadership and financiers of the PRA, if in fact such a group does exist".

A Uganda army spokesman said on November 16 , 2005 that the army was deployed to help the police with the riots, and that security had been increased at all borders because "We know PRA exists and are likely to attack".

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