Sudan’s militia declares war on LRA rebels of Uganda

KAMPALA, Mar 8, 2004 (Xinhua) — The Equatoria Defense Forces (EDF), a Sudanese militia group, has declared war on the Ugandan rebel group, the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) led by Joseph Kony.

The EDF has traditionally been allied to Khartoum against John Garang’s Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA). For the last week, the EDF has fought the LRA around Magwi and on Juba-Torit road in southern Sudan.

SPLA appointed Equatoria province governor Samuel Abu-John was quoted Monday by Ugandan media as saying that the EDF decision to fight LRA followed the latter’s ghastly attacks on Lotuku, Acholi and Lango, killing scores and forcing survivors to eat the dead.

EDF, which broke away from the SPLA in the early 1990s, is trying to rejoin it, as hopes of a peace settlement with Khartoum heighten.

Talks between the two hitherto rival groups started on Saturday in Kampala, military sources said here.

The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) deputy chairman Silva Kiri and EDF chairman Tulyafosi Ochan lead their delegations to the talks.

“The SPLA and EDF reunion is a good development which must be encouraged if Kony is to be denied a safe haven in southern Sudan. Without bases in the Sudan, the LRA’s end is in sight,” a Ugandan security was quoted as saying.

Meanwhile, the SPLA also said it killed 86 LRA rebels and recovered 3,000 head of cattle the Ugandan rebels had rustled from Bari and Marela tribes in southern Sudan.

The Sudan government appointed governor of Juba, Maj. Gen. James Loro last week ordered general mobilization of the population against Kony rebels after they killed villagers there and raided over 3,000 cattle. The LRA rebels also attacked a convoy of a Sudanese government army.