Ugandan rebels kill two people in Sudan’s Western Equatoria
By Richard Ruati
February 19, 2009 (YAMBIO) – A group of five Ugandan rebels of the Lord’s Resistance Army clashed with defense forces near populated areas in Western Equatoria on Wednesday and Thursday morning, killing two persons and wounding others while many fled their villages, an official said.
The clashes took place Wednesday and through Thursday morning in Ibba County and small villages of Maridi County, the Minister of Local Government and Law enforcement agencies, Col. Samuel Bati told Sudan Tribune.
The five LRA rebels, who appeared to have lost their way, were spotted yesterday near Ibba on the way towards Maridi. Western Equatorian civilians, who have now formed defence groups to fight LRA rebels, ventured out to fight the LRA 12 miles from Maridi at Manikakara.
Col. Bati recounted that “LRA viciously attacked this morning at Nagbaka village five miles from Ibba town, they were intercepted and repulsed by the combined forces and community arrow boys.”
One civilian fighter was killed while the LRA started to escape toward Maridi under gun-fire and bows and arrows.
“The LRA terrorists seemed to be more on the run and trying to avoid groups of people who might attack rather then targeting people and looting but this morning they ended up close to SPLA post 8 miles outside Maridi town at Ras Tigi (Ngi Ngume) where they also clashed with some SPLA as well as the local police,” said Charles Kisanga, chairman of Western Equatoria Azande Community World-Wide Organisation.
In this second round of clashes, one LRA was wounded, one captured and another fled while badly wounded. The captured LRA rebel is reported to have died of his wounds later. Another civilian game ranger at Jebel Nakua village was later shot dead by the LRA as they fled, bringing the number of WES people killed to two. One man was also shot in the lip.
In both cases, Col. Bati said, almost everyone had been caught by surprise before the rebels arrived. He added that the rebels have now crossed in to DR Congo through thick bushes. “The SPLA and other organized forces are still pursuing them to the jungles bordering DRC,” he said.
Col Bati described the attacks as “gruesome.”
The UN refugee agency said this week that more than 15,000 Congolese had fled to Southern Sudan since the LRA began launching attacks in the north-east DR Congo.
The LRA rebels have launched a fresh spate of attacks following the joint operation by Uganda, DR Congo and the SPLA against LRA resurgence more than two months ago.
They are believed to be divided into small groups and are blamed for killing at least 900 people since late December in attacks across a vast swathe of territory stretching from Central African Republic to northeastern DR Congo and border areas of Western Equatoria.
(ST)