South Sudan army redeploys to fight Ugandan rebels

March 29, 2007 (JUBA) — The South Sudan army, Sudan People’s Liberation Army, has redeployed troops in anticipation of the Uganda rebel Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) attacks, the army spokesman Maj-Gen Kuol Diem Kuol told the Juba Post.

The SPLA second infantry division completed training in Owinny-Kibul area, was graduated by the president of southern Sudan and has been redeployed to potential volatile areas across south Sudan.

The eight brigade of the SPLA second division is being deployed to Western Equatoria State and other forces are being deployed to Torit in Eastern Equatoria, Central Equatoria, Upper Nile State and Bahr al Ghazal states.

There are a lot of the SPLA forces moving to their areas of deployment, Kuol said, adding that the LRA took advantage when these forces were in training. The basic aim of the redeployed forces, Kuol adds, is to protect the people.

According to the army, two groups of the LRA exist at the previous LRA Uganda peace talks agreed assembly point at Owinyi Kibul: one is Sudanese and the other one is Ugandan. “Certain Sudanese communities have joined the LRA from Magwi and Torit areas, the army spokesman said, and they are living on looting.”

“These LRA looters are creating havoc and there are complaints that the local populations are hiding those people. It is the same people who looted villagers and when the SPLM comes, they also keep on hiding them.”

Kuol said people should report these elements to the SPLA. “Security of southern Sudan is a collective responsibility of all of us, he said. “People should help the SPLA to identify those elements among the citizens.”

“The LRA looted a village 10 miles south of Maridi town on Sunday 25 March and the SPLA Joint Integrated Unit (JIU) are pursuing the looters”, Kuol said. “Our forces are ready to push and bring those looters, either LRA Ugandan or LRA Sudanese, and bring them to book.”

(Juba Post)