Yambio protests against recent Ugandan LRA killings in Equatoria
June 14, 2008 (YAMBIO) – Thousands of Western Equatoria State citizens marched on June 10 in the state capital, Yambio, to protest against the Ugandan LRA attacks in the State.
In this demonstration Yambio residents turned to express their grievances about the presence of the Ugandan rebels in their territory. The demo attracted youths, women, students, elders, churches and civil servants.
The protest aimed at sending powerful message to the Government of Southern Sudan, international community and regional powers to intervene rescue the lives of the WES citizens.
In the youth petition presented to Jemma Nunu Kumba, Governor of Western Equatoria State, they pointed clear that, “enough of the barbaric invasions of the so-called LRA, enough of the blood shed of the people of WES.”
However, the youths cited some doubts, which they need the state government, GOSS and the international community to address, “we don’t want hear of the LRA base in Nabanga, We need the Government to send force to protect the civilian lives.”
The further requested the southern Sudan government to find another country to host the Ugandan rebels if Sudan is the base for the peaceful negations between LRA and the Government of Uganda.
The traders of WES in their brief speech condemned the looting, killing, raping and all kinds of crimes by LRA against humanity in WES. They called on LRA to change their battle line back to Uganda. They further accused the LRA leader Kony of waving war on a sovereign land an act of invasion.
The chiefs’ representative, reiterated that, “the entire communities of WES is not happy with the migrated war waged on the people of WES by LRA, the chiefs are appealing to GOSS to do something to curtail the random crimes instigated by LRA”.
Governor Kumba, in her remarks to large crowd who ended their popular demonstration at the state HQs, said that “today the people of WES are not just demonstrating, but we are mourning too, of our relatives whom the LRA killed in last week in Nabanga.”
She added that, “the struggle to remove LRA from WES and the provision of security for the people of WES is her number top priority”, she echoed her fellow women as saying “her Government have condemned the atrocities carried out by the LRA rebels.
She appealed to the Government of Southern Sudan to “take this incident as an eye opener and take the issue of LRA more serious that ever, as well as reviewing its stand on peaceful negotiations and mediation as a means of solving the problem as the refusal of the LRA to sign the long negotiated peace agreement is a clear indication that they are not ready for any peaceful settlement.”
The governor said the main security problems in the Western Equatoria have been caused by random movement of external forces, the LRA, around the state borders harassing the communities by abducting, looting, and killing the citizens.
On the 5thth of June 2008, the LRA made a surprise attack on the SPLA military garrison in Nabanga, causing losses of our people, burning down houses and devastating the whole area. Similar LRA attacks were made on Source Yubu and Ezo earlier.
The southern Sudan Vice-President and mediator of the two year peace talks between the Ugandan government and the LRA declined calls for military action against the Ugandan rebels.
Riek Machar hopes to convince the fugitive rebel leader Joseph Kony who is who is wanted for war crimes by the International Criminal Court, to sign a peace deal negotiated between his delegation and Kampala.
Last week, LRA fighters killed 23 people including 14 southern Sudanese soldiers in the same area.
(ST)