South Sudan’s E. Equatoria deploys army to prevent LRA attacks
By By Isaac Vuni
Feb 10, 2007 (TORIT) — The Governor of Eastern Equatoria State announced today that he deployed army to protect population from Ugandan rebels attack, he further denounced LRA their persistent atrocities and killing of people in the state.
Addressing the first meeting of SPLM Friday 9 February, Governor Aloisio Emor Ojetuk, who is also the state SPLM chairman, said “I have now deployed state organized forces in whole of Magwi County in order to protect our people and their properties from LRA looting”.
Governor Ojetuk said the major challenges facing SPLM in Eastern Equatoria state is insurgency being posed by Ugandan rebels LRA, especially in Magwi and eastern Torit counties.
He reiterated that rebels LRA has broke out of their designated assembling camp at Owinykibul and are now killing, terrorizing, and robbing southern citizens of food stuff and properties. And that the Ugandan rebels LRA refused even a humanitarian food given to them by government of southern Sudan on allegation that it has been poisoned.
“Since Ugandan rebels LRA has walked out of a negotiating table in Juba under the mediation of our government, LRA must leave our territory immediately or force will be use to evict them because they have become a big threat to development in the affected counties of Eastern Equatoria states”, declared the governor.
In another development, Ugandan FM Radio Mega broadcast monitored yesterday stated that the District Commissioner (DC) of Gulu, Mr. Walter Ohcora is to lead Acholi elders delegation to meet and plead to Governor of Eastern Equatoria not to chase the LRA from southern Sudan. The radio further reported that Ugandan government would compensate people of Magwi County whose properties were looted by LRA.
Responding to the report, the state minister of Agriculture and rural development, Mr. Francis Okeny angrily said the Gulu DC must first convinced LRA not to killed innocent people and to also refrain from attacking people of Magwi County, then he and the elders delegations could be given audience with the Governor and Council of ministers.
Otherwise, he say there will be no meeting of any delegations from Uganda who are purporting to represents the LRA who are still continuing to kill people in the three states of Equatoria.
(ST)