Ugandan rebels continue looting in Sudan’s Western Equatoria

Feb 5 2007 — I talked to a source in Yambio today. The Ugandan Lords Army (LRA) rebels) have continued to loot properties in Western Equatoria as they move across the state heading towards the boarder with Central Africa Republic. They are said to number in their hundreds and are moving in two groups consisting of LRA fighters and their families (women and children). Yesterday they looted places in Sakure Payam (it lies East of Yambio-Anzara about 20 miles away) as they continued on route towards Sudanese boarders with the Central Africa Republic and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Reports from the Payam of Sukre also say the LRA are still camped in Sakure today and nobody knows when they will continue to move south-west towards Central Africa Republic They have already passed Birisi, Ringasi, and Gangura.

Another highly placed source within Western Equatoria state administration now say it appears there is split in the LRA because some are still in Ri-Kwanga/Nabanga area and yet this group have moved away with their families. It is not known which LRA commander is heading the forces moving toward the boarder of Central Africa Republic.

I asked a source in Yambio why the authorities have not intervened to stop the RLA looting villagers and I was told the organised forces in Western Equatoria have no authority yet to fight LRA since commanders and authorities in Western Equatoria were told last year they cannot engage LRA in fighting because the LRA are being encouraged to negotiate peace. The organised forces can only fight back if the LRA attacked them in their positions or in the town. This means that the Azande villagers are being left for the mercy of the LRA as they can now loot with nobody going to stop them

I have asked the Youth and authorities in Yambio to try to make a list of all the properties that have been looted so far and also the list of people who might have been abducted.

It is worth noting that the Ugandan LRA rebels started appearing across Azande villages last Thursday, February 1st 2007, as they descended form Garamba Forest across the boarder with Democratic Republic of Congo and the rebels then began to trek cross the villages lying close to the boarder with Congo such as Birisi , Ringasi, Gangaura and now Sakure heading towards the direction of Central Africa Republic. They looted properties as they moved across the villages and sending people fleeing for their lives and some villagers have been reported abducted by the rebels as they move on.

Charles B. Kisanga M.Sc, MBCS, MIET

Eng. Kisanga is former SPLM NLC member and chairman of Western Equatoria Azande Community World-Wide Organisation. He is currently living and working in exile in the UK and he can be reached on [email protected], Tel: +44-770899 8373