Girlfriend 'kills Uganda general'

Uganda's former army chief James Kazini has been killed at his girlfriend's flat in the capital, Kampala.

A BBC correspondent says Maj Gen Kazini died after being hit on the head with an iron bar during a brawl.

An army spokesman said he had been a victim of domestic violence. His girlfriend has been arrested.

He was sacked as army chief in 2003 after UN accusations that he plundered resources in the Democratic Republic of Congo when leading operations there.

He was in charge of Ugandan troops who clashed with their Rwandan counterparts in the eastern Congolese town of Kisangani in 1999.

The BBC's Joshua Mmali in Kampala says many people are shocked by the manner of his death.

Last year he was found guilty of corruption - charges unconnected to the Congolese allegations.

He went to jail, but was out on bail and facing further charges of subversion at the time of his death.

Denials

Allegations against Maj Gen Kazini were first made in two United Nations reports, at a time when Uganda had a heavy military presence in eastern DR Congo, supporting the rebellion against President Laurent Kabila and later against current President Joseph Kabila.

Although Maj Gen Kazini was withdrawn from DR Congo in 2001, the Ugandan government protested his innocence and appointed him acting army chief.

The government nevertheless set up a judicial commission of inquiry into the UN allegations.

As a result of the inquiry, the government recommended that action be taken against Maj Gen Kazini, and he was removed from his post as acting head of the army in 2003.

An army spokesman said at the time that Maj Gen Kazini's removal from office was unconnected with the UN accusations, and that he was being sent for further training.

Last year he was found guilty of causing the army financial loss, charges that stemmed from irregularities in the army payroll.

He was most recently facing charges that he disobeyed a presidential order, when he was army chief, not to transport large numbers of troops at one time.

Such actions can raise suspicion of coup plotting, our reporter says.

RELATED INTERNET LINKS
Ugandan government
UN Panel report (Word document)
UN mission to the DRC
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