Sudan warns of imminent LRA attacks in Equatoria
By James Gatdet Dak
December 16, 2008 (JUBA) – Governor of Central Equatoria state, Major General Clement Wani Konga, on Monday warned of imminent attack by the Ugandan rebels of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) in Greater Equatoria region following a joint regional military offensive on the rebels in eastern DR Congo on Sunday.
The attack on LRA camps was launched jointly by the Southern Sudan, DR Congo and Ugandan forces.
Wani issued the warning in the SPLM State Liberation Council meeting on Monday which reviewed the security situation in the state with emphasis on taking precautionary measures following the surprise attacks on LRA that involved the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) inside DR Congo.
Governor Wani, who also chairs the SPLM party in the state, asked the SPLM State Liberation Council to mobilize the citizens to fight back if the rebels carry out revenge attacks in Equatoria region.
LRA rebels used to terrorize the civil population in Greater Equatoria, but their activities were significantly minimized for the last two years following the launch of the Government of Southern Sudan’s mediated peace talks, which gradually saw them leave and move their forces to DR Congo’s thick forests recently.
The ongoing joint military offensive on them that involves the Southern Sudan army and dislodges the rebels in eastern DR Congo refreshes fears among government officials and ordinary citizens that the rebels might sneak back to Southern Sudan to cause havoc again.
On Monday, the Government of Southern Sudan’s Vice President and Chief Mediator of the Uganda peace process, Dr. Riek Machar Teny, said Southern Sudan had closed its borders with the DR Congo in an attempt to prevent the renewed fighting from over spilling to the semi-autonomous region.
Machar reminded that Southern Sudan had been struggling to recover from its decades of war and would not afford another foreign war.
He said the fighting which the mediators were aware of just before it was announced in Kampala was a pressure on Joseph Kony to sign the final peace agreement.
The Chief Mediator blamed the rebel leader for refusing to sign several times, which he said resulted to regional frustration.
“We understand the frustration involved because Kony has failed to sign [the final peace agreement] five times,” he explained.
He however reiterated that the door to peace was still open if the rebel leader reconsidered his position and accepted to sign the final peace agreement with the Ugandan government.
The two-year Juba peace talks between the Ugandan government and the LRA was successfully negotiated, concluded and initialed by the two parties since March this year, but failed to carry the signature of Joseph Kony who demanded for deferment of ICC’s arrest warrants on him before he could ink the peace deal.
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MANKIND
Sudan warns of imminent LRA attacks in Equatoria
DR Riak Machar’s failure to make peace and his poor decision to wage war could obviously have consequencies in Equatoria.
DR Dog was so fool to miss the crux of LRA’s peace failure.
I wonder why mr Kiir left behind the great minds like Wanni Igga and Michael Makuei Lueth.
It is not defection like 1991 which DR RieK Machieth successfull carried out on civilians.
This LRA peace require natural thinking not attendance PHDs.
Atleast mr Kiir should have known where the DR Dog bite.
Lokorai
Sudan warns of imminent LRA attacks in Equatoria
Your Excellency the Governor, fighting the rebels of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) isn’t a solution, talking is. The Vice President has started well and he should have been supported all through. Peace is coming slowly through Juba talking. No need for more war or guns. Please sir, give peace a chance!
H. E. The Vice President has just said that no SPLA soldiers were involved in the destruction of ‘Swahili’ LRA camps, that is sweet news. Ignore Museveni beligerency and talk.
Lokorai