Ugandan LRA hinders development in Western Equatoria

Aug 3, 2006 (MARIDI) — The commissioner of Ibba County in Western Equatoria state said that the presence of the Lord’s Resistance Army in her area hinders development activities.

Miss Mary Sungu said that the LRA has committed many atrocities in the region including killing, raping, looting and abducting. Such acts have displaced some people from their homes, the Sudan Radio Service (SRS) reported at the end of July.

The commissioner of Ibba County said the LRA entered Ibba in January this year and their first atrocities were carried out in Nabanga payam ,on the border which is a stronghold of LRA leader Joseph Kony, killing a primary health care senior medical officer and left the center in ruins.

Early this year until July, six girls were abducted by the LRA besides widespread looting of food and non-food items, raping and killing of unarmed civilians in her county. The LRA has also disrupted commercial activities on the Sudanese-Congo border and destroyed 1,900 beehives of the people.”

The SRS made interviewed Miss Sungu while their correspondent was traveling with a delegation of Acholi community leaders on their way to the Democratic Republic of the Congo to meet LRA leader Joseph Kony.

Meanwhile, commissioner Sungu also criticised the suspension of the governor of Western Equatoria by the GOSS. She described the suspension and house arrest of Patrick Zamoi as a violation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement.

She complained that the people of Western Equatoria were not informed officially of the reason or reasons for his suspension.

Sungu urged the government to resolve the issue amicably for the sake of peace and stability.

(SRS)