S. Sudan villages clear as LRA attack increasingly closer to Yambio

May 2, 2009 (LONDON) — Local defence forces in Western Equatoria State talked Thursday of wide-scale devastation from attacks by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) along the border of DR Congo and nearer to the state capital Yambio, with villagers fleeing by the thousands.

Rural residents are fleeing to the major towns such as Tambura, Ezo, Nzara and Yambio, said Charles Kisanga, a political leader connected to the region who is now living in the United Kingdom.

Kisanga, a former member of the National Liberation Council of the South’s ruling party SPLM and chairman of an international organization for the Azande community, said the LRA seemed to be advancing closer to areas around the state capital, Yambio, and Nzara, as indicated by a dawn attack Wednesday on the village of Atanziri.

“The Uganda Lords Resistance Army rebels continue to target isolated villages and attack them and causing fear and mayhem which drive many villagers to the main towns,” said Kisanga.

Atanziri, which is just about 12 miles from Nzara and Yambio, was reportedly attacked and looted by LRA, killing a policeman and another village man.

“The fallen hero policeman is said to be well-known among the community and his death at the hands of the LRA has sent shock waves to the communities in Yambio and Nzara. The policeman was supposed to be defending the village against LRA but was no match to dozens of LRA who attacked the village to loot food — and they hack anybody to death who does not get out of their way quick enough or who are still caught in bed when the rebels sneak into the villages,” stated Kisanga.

The body of the policeman was brought for mourning and burial in Yambio on Thursday. Some of his relatives who fled to Yambio following the attack on said they lived just a few hundred meters from the other villager who was killed by LRA and they said they had been terrified when woken by the sound of gunfire. They ran all the way to Yambio leaving all their possessions behind.

One woman who was pregnant ran all the way to Yambio with her other children and family members, prompting her to go into early labour Wednesday. The premature baby was delivered during the night and is now at Yambio hospital where it is hoped the baby can survive.

Kisanga suggested ominously that a number of officials in the state have started to evacuate their families to Uganda, especially women and children.

“The LRA seem to have now acquired more weaponry than before plus the use of abducted young people who are forced to fight in the ranks of the LRA rebels,” he said.

Resurgence of the LRA in the state has caused considerable concern to local South Sudanese officials. According to a 2009 report by the Geneva-based Small Arms Survey, officials disregarded a presidential disarmament order during 2008, largely out of fear to implement the disarmament campaign while the LRA remained armed and active. Rather, the governor of the state has encouraged the growth of armed civilian groups sometimes referred to as “arrow boy” because they are not always well equipped.

LRA activities have picked up since they were attacked in December 2008 in Garamba National Park in Congo, which LRA first entered from Uganda in 2005. An NGO report from February 2008 by Joost van Puijenbroek and Nico Plooijer alleged that “Garamba has always been a supply zone for various rebel groups by the Government of Khartoum.”

As happened in 2008 across an area close to 10,000 square kilometers in northeastern DR Congo, many areas along the border are now empty of people.

Kisanga commented “it is becoming increasing difficult to see how election process can start in Western Equatoria state as promised by the Government and the Electoral Commission.”

(ST)