EDF makes a tactical withdrawal from Katire following LRA Attack

On Monday 23rd August 2004, Rebels of Ugandan Lords Resistance Army (LRA) attacked the EDF held village of Katire and heavy fighting ensured. The LRA terrorists, numbering several hundred men threw everything they had against our positions and as such EDF troops defending the village made a tactical withdrawal.

EDF lost three soldiers in the battle and a few other soldiers were slightly wounded. We have no information of civilian casualties yet due to continued fighting. Also our troops killed a large number of the rebels but we could not verify the exact number of enemy casualties due to our tactical withdrawal. We are now organising our forces outside Katire for a counter-attack and we will let you know as soon as possible any news of recapture of Katire from the enemy. Also reinforcements of both EDF and SPLA forces from Magwi and other units are being assembled for the freedom of Katire.

It is worth mentioning that LRA had earlier moved to occupy positions in Imatong Mountains when we had scattered them around the village of Lowai on the 3rd of August 2004. Then the LRA leader Joseph Kony arrived there to reinforce the scattered RLA with his last men who had fled Biriyang when UPDF captured it from Kony on the 28th of July, 2004. It now seems Joseph Kony is trying to make his last stand with about two battalions in the area of Katire. They moved into the mountain high grounds passing via Owingbul and then occupying three areas in the Imatong Mountains: Kisangeni , Loboni and Awiriya which is overlooking Katire. Our forces were in the process of putting together a force to go after Kony into those areas when they came down and attacked our positions in the village of Katire.

We appeal to members of the International community who had been interested in ending this war of LRA brutality in both Northern Uganda and Southern Sudan to come to the assistance of EDF and SPLA forces in order to root out Kony because we have the credible information of Kony being with these forces and in this area. We need logistics and other military gear for the operation to root out Kony from Katire and from Eastern Equatoria once for all.

– Charles Barnaba Kisanga
– Secretary General
– Equatoria Defence Forces (EDF)
– E-mail: [email protected]
– Tel: +44-117 9594549