Libyans disappear as anti-Amin force resumes advance

Press, 26 March 1979, Page 9

Libyans disappear as anti-Amin force resumes advance

NZPA-Reuter Nairobi 1 anzanian troops and armed Ugandan exiles are again advancing towards the Ugandan capital and Libyan soldiers who were guarding the interntional airport have disappeared, diplomatic sources have said.

In western Uganda, the Tanzanian and rebel force has advanced to cut off the remaining route to the south left open to the forces of President Idi Amin, according to exile sources. In the north Tanzanian town of Moshi, leaders of several exile groups had met at the week-end in an effort to unite in a military political front to overthrow and replace President Amin’s military Government, the exile sources said. The diplomatic sources said anti-Amin forces were now within range of the Government defence line south of the town of Mpigi and some 50km from the capital, Kampala, but fighting had not yet started there. If Field-Marshal Amin is to make a determined stands against the invasion he must! make it at Mpigi, as there is no natural defence area and' no garrison between there and Kampala, the sources said. Travellers frotp Uganda reported that on Thursday night the seven road blocks between Kampala and the international airport at Entebbe had been reduced to two, each manned by two prison warders, rather than the usual large group of

I Ugandan and Libyan troops. The Libyan military camp outside Entebbe had also gone, and there were no Libyan troops at the airport itself, the travellers said. The diplomatic sources said it was not yet known whether the Libyans had gone to the front or left Uganda. Intelligence estimates have put the number of Libyan troops flown into Uganda to help President Amin at a maximum of 600. The travellers reported that a Soviet-made Tupolev 22 bomber, assumed to have

come from Libya, which arrived at Entebbe a week ago, was still on the tarmac there.

Earlier reports in Nairobi said that advancing Tanzanian units had shelled Entebbe Airport. Entebbe, 32km from Kampala, is Uganda’s only international civilian airport. It is also a military airbase. Observers say that depriving Field-Marshal Amin of the use of Entebbe would be a crucial blow to the Ugandan leader. A resident of Entebbe, contacted by telephone, said: “There were two or three bangs. They seemed to be explosive rounds, but we don’t know what they were. They could have been Ugandan or Tanzanian.”

i The Entebbe resident said there was no damage and no evident public or military reaction. He said life along the shore of Lake Victoria i was calm, although a few people were taking their families out. Tanzania and Uganda have been at war for five months. After Ugandan forces crossed into north-western Tanzania in late October, and and President Amin claimed the area for Uganda,! Tanzanian troops counter-at-l tacked.