PR – Ugandan rebel LRA denies involvement in Juba attack

June 13, 2006 — The LRM/A High Command would like to categorically deny any involvement in the recently reported attack on innocent civilians near the southern Sudanese town of Juba. We would further like to inform the South Sudanese Government and its people and the international community at large that none of our soldiers were anywhere near the reported area.

The LRA/M High Command condemns in the strongest terms such cowardly acts of brutality on innocent civilians. We further would like to express our deep sympathies and regrets for the loss of innocent south Sudanese lives especially at the current period when Southern Sudanese were beginning to return home a year on after the signing of the CPA.

The LRA/M High Command however, would like to stress that the UPDF ?Ugandan army presence all over Southern Sudan sovereign territory, coupled with their reluctance to embrace the peace overtures by the LRA/M has been the usual tactics by UPDF as far as the issue of peace for Northern Uganda is concern.

The LRA/M High Command strongly believes that this is a characteristic and a cynical attempt by the Museveni’s dictatorship to sabotage the current peace initiative. The UPDF has used such tactics before in Ugandan soils in order to torpedo previous peace processes. The LRA/M therefore calls on the Southern Sudanese authorities to investigate this dastard act and find those responsible.

Last but not, least, we call on south Sudanese government and the SPLA to exercise restraint in dealing with such matters. Because of the seriousness of the matter, we suggest that while the various stakeholders to the peace talks are working out the modalities of the talks, activities of all forces, especially UPDF within southern Sudan, be restricted and strictly monitored.

LRA/M Information Bureau.