Newslex Point News in Uganda, Uganda news
The Commander willingly admitted to being part of a rebel and terrorist group.
Ibrahim Ssemwanga and Aisha Nalweyiso are the two facing the sentencing that passed on Tuesday. They pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting terrorism as well as belonging to ADF, a terrorist organization.
Ssemwanga became part of the ADF in 1999 and received training in warfare. He however assisted in carrying out ambushes inside the Democratic Republic of Congo.
With time, he made his way up the ranks and saw himself becoming one of the top commanders in the group. He became a deputy commander for one of the battalions in the rebel cum terrorist group by the time of his arrest in 2017.
In the military setting, a battalion consisting of 300 to 1,000 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel. In other armies, battalions are exclusively infantry, while in others battalions are unit-level organizations.
Court accused Ssemwanga
This, therefore, makes Ssemwanga a top ADF commander and senior person in the ADF ranks. He always reported to Musa Baluku, believed to be the top-ranking ADF leader.
The court also accused Ssemwanga of recruiting for the rebel group from Uganda and delivering ammunition to ADF operatives in Uganda. In 2009, he recruited his young relative Aisha Nalweyiso into the group who later saw her way to DRC.
While there she learnt how to assemble and disassemble several types of guns on top of firing them.
During the trial, the prosecution led by Chief State Attorney Lillian Omara and Senior State Attorney Jacquelyn Okwii lined up seven witnesses to pin the duo. However, the two chose to plead guilty to the charges amassed against them.
They eventually got 14 years imprisonment for aiding and abetting terrorism as well as four years imprisonment for belonging to a terrorist organization.
Justice Kabanda however said the sentences would run concurrently.
Check Also;
- Uganda Is Willing To Work With DRC To Defeat ADF Rebels; President Museveni
- Security Authorities Arrest 16 Suspected ADF Members
- ADF Rebels Are Behind Plans And Orders To Kill Ugandans; Museveni
Please use the button below to contribute to Newslex Point, Inc. using a credit card or via PayPal.
![[dropcap]A[/dropcap] section of women in Bugongo parish and Nawangaiza parish in Nawandala Sub County, Iganga District have decried the near-impossible terms set for them to access GROW funds. They have now petitioned their woman member of parliament for Iganga Hon. Kauma Sauda Alibaawo to ask the government for revised terms and conditions. This is to enable them to benefit from the program. The disgruntled women accuse the implementers of the program of charging the money. They are also asking for their land titles and land agreements. They said that such properties are governed by their husbands. These, therefore want the government through their woman MP to intervene and revise the requirements for one to benefit. The women were on Wednesday at Namabwere primary school in Nawandala Sub County. They had gathered in their respective groups to receive over 300 chickens from Hon Alibaawo in her campaign to improve the livelihood of women in Iganga district. Each group was given 50 chicken as start-up capital in their journey to prosperity. Read what some leaders said; Ms Naigambi Lydia from Nawandala Trading Centre says, “They solicited money from us through opening bank accounts and depositing Shs80,000. They also asked for land titles and land agreements from us yet we don’t have such things. I was informed that I needed to have a business with a capital of Shs4m yet my capital was very small.” The chairperson Kisoboka Saving Group in Nawandala Ms. Nakagolo Faith said they were not able to join the program. This is given the many conditions attached. She also asked their woman MP to raise their concerns to the relevant offices. The MP condemned the mode of implementation of the program. She cited that it has turned to benefit the well-off class of women other than the intended group. She further asked the government to intervene saying the current strings attached to the programme are very tight to accommodate a common woman. GROW project is a Government of Uganda initiative that arose out of the need to respond to the needs of women entrepreneurs. This is especially those who want to grow their businesses, sustain their self-employment and create more jobs. Check Also; Iganga District NRM Leaders Urge Museveni To Fulfill Election Promises Of 2021 International Women's Day: Celebrating Progress Towards Equality](https://i0.wp.com/newslexpoint.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Iganga-women-decry-tough-terms-to-access-GROW-funds-e1731738339732.jpg?resize=300%2C160&ssl=1)
