Uganda’s LRA denies attacks in Sudan’s Western Equatoria
Feb 14, 2007 (KAMPALA) — The Ugandan rebels denied reports that their forces had attacked Western Equatoria population. Instead they said that LRA troops were in reconnaissance patrols near the DRC border.
The rebel Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) said in a press release that its troops in Western Equatoria State operated in reconnaissance along Sudan Republic of Democratic Republic of Congo.
The LRA denounced a hostile campaign in the media organized by the Ugandan authorities “to cause panic and terror within the civilian population in both Western and Eastern Equatoria States in Southern Sudan.”
(ST)
The following the text of a press release dismissing attacks in Western Equatoria State.
The LRA/M press office would like hereby to refute the allegation that their combatants have been in some kind of attacks in Western Equatoria State around the town of Yambio.
What is true however, is the fact that some LRA/M combatants have recently been on regular reconnaissance along the Sudan – DRC borders. It is also true that these exercises have caused some kind of panic in the State of Western Equatoria especially along the border areas.
However, what is not true and is pure UPDF propaganda is the allegation that the LRA/M combatants looted some homesteads and abducted two girls who later on managed to slip away from them. According to the LRA/M Patrol Commander, the two girls appeared to have got lost during the panic situation along the border and were found miles away from any nearby settlement and were instead escorted towards their village and homes where they came from.
The LRA/M would further like to regret the unfortunate media mania both in Southern Sudan and especially in Uganda, which are biased towards the LRA/M at such a critical point of the stalled Juba Peace Talks between the GOU and the LRA/M. This is in addition to the relentless UPDF and NRMO hostile propaganda both in the press and by their officials for their inability to commit themselves to the talks and observe the terms of COH as stipulated in the Agreement and its two Addenda.
We condemn in the strongest terms this kind of media reporting which we think is designed by the UPDF and the Kampala regime to cause panic and terror within the civilian population in both Western and Eastern Equatoria States in Southern Sudan.
Last, but not least, we would like to take this opportunity to thank those WES officials and their SPLM/A partners for thoroughly investigating these so called LRA/M attacks on Yambio and coming out themselves to refute these outrageous allegations.
LRA/M Information Bureau
13th February 2007