Ugandan army says captures rebel LRA 'top commander'By BBC | Sunday, May 13  2012 at  13:34

A senior commander in the rebel Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) has been captured by the Ugandan army, a spokesman has said.

Caesar Achellam was seized on Saturday following a struggle between Ugandan soldiers and a group of 30 rebels.

The commander, whom Ugandan officials say is a top rebel military strategist, was captured in the Central African Republic, one of several nations where the Ugandan-led LRA operates.

The most notorious wanted LRA leader is war crimes suspect Joseph Kony.

Following his arrest, Achellam told reporters: "The general of the division, Caesar Achellam, who has fought in the jungle since 1984, is from now on in the hands of the Ugandan Army."

Ugandan army spokesman Felix Kulaigye said: "The arrest of Major General Caesar Achellam is big progress because he is a big fish.

"His capture is definitely going to cause an opinion shift within LRA."

The commander's wife, his young daughter and a helper were also held.

Kony's global notoriety has increased in recent months because of the internet video 'Kony 2012', which has been watched tens of millions of times since it was posted online by the US advocacy group Invisible Children.

He is wanted by the International Criminal Court for rape, mutilation and murder of civilians, as well as forcibly recruiting children to serve as soldiers and sex slaves.