Ugandan rebels kill two civilians in Sudan’s W. Equatoria state
By James Gatdet Dak
December 18, 2008 (JUBA) – Gunmen suspected to be from the Ugandan rebel Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) have killed two civilians in Western Equatoria state, a regional official said today.
The Deputy Governor of the Western Equatoria state, Joseph Ngere on Thursday said two boys were killed yesterday in an ambush at Tore area near the border with Democratic Republic of Congo.
Uganda, DR Congo and southern Sudan army launched last Sunday an attack against the LRA rebels who have been holed up in north-eastern Congo since 2005. In June, the three countries said they would jointly combat the insurgents.
The attack is seen as necessary to force the elusive rebel leader Joseph Kony sign a peace deal negotiated during two years in Juba. The former Mozambican President Joaquim Chissano, a U.N. special envoy to northern Uganda urged yesterday the U.N. Security Council to support “this effort of the Ugandan government.”
Governor of Central Equatoria state, Major General Clement Wani Konga, on Monday warned of imminent attack by the LRA rebels in Greater Equatoria region. He asked to mobilize the citizens to fight back if the rebels carry out revenge attacks in Equatoria region.
The Southern Sudanese Vice President, Riek Machar, told reporters on the same day that Southern Sudan had closed its borders with the DR Congo in an attempt to prevent the renewed fighting from over spilling to the semi-autonomous region.
The deputy governor Ngere said there are growing fears in Western Equatoria state that the fighting may spill over to the state.
The Ugandan rebels used to terrorize the civilians in Greater Equatoria, but their activities were significantly minimized for the last two years following the launch of Juba talks and the signing of a ceasefire agreement.
Aid workers in the state have reported increasing displacement of civilians by the fighting near the state’s border with DR Congo.
UN agencies have also announced that they will stop repatriation of refugees and displaced persons in Equatoria states for fear of escalating fighting in the region.
(ST)