Ugandan rebels represent serious threat for Southern Sudan – UN

September 11, 2009 (KHARTOUM) –Attacks by Ugandan rebels and tribal violence constitute a serious threat for the people of southern Sudan, a United Nations official warned today from Juba.

Today, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Sudan, Ms. Ameerah Haq, said alarmed by the increasing number of deaths due to the escalating attacks by LRA rebels against civilians ? mostly women and children ? in Southern Sudan’s Western and Central Equatoria States.

During the last six weeks alone, the Ugandan rebels carried out 11 attacks – seven of them in the first week of September alone, she said. Also recent attacks in neighboring countries – Republic of Congo and Central Africa Republic – increased the number of IDPs and refugees in eight out of 10 counties of Western Equatoria State and two of the six counties in Central Equatoria State.

Ms. Hag stated that since mid-December 2008, the LRA attacks displaced 68,000 Sudanese among them 11,000 IDPs have been registered last month alone, and 18,000 refugees have arrived from the DRC and CAR. She further said at least 200 people have been killed and 130 abducted.

Regional Coordinator for South Sudan at the UN Mission in Sudan, stated today that the Ugandan rebel group is a deadly threat to communities in the extreme west of southern Sudan,

He also underscored deadly inter-tribal clashes – revolving around cattle, water and land – as another critical area of concern, stressing that “land remains an unresolved major issue, perpetuating violence in southern Sudan.”

Updating correspondents through a video-link, Gressly said since South Sudan government had signed a ceasefire agreement with the LRA in April 2006, the threat to the State had diminished, but the group still terrorized areas in the south bordering the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Central African Republic, with raids for food and abducting children.

Last August, the UN humanitarian coordinator in southern Sudan reported that over 2,000 people have died in inter-tribal violence and more than 250,000 people have been displaced since January 2009.

“We’ve seen a series of conflicts since March among a number of ethnic tribes,” said Mr. Gressly, noting that these recent local conflicts are particularly disturbing because of the large number of civilians who have been targeted and killed.

Mr. Gressly stressed that even with the help of UNMIS, it is extremely difficult for the Government to respond to these attacks, which are usually launched as pre-dawn raids and are over in a matter of hours.

“We are placing our own forces on the ground to try to check these problems, but we’re dealing with a very remote area,” he said. “Jonglei state is about the size of Bangladesh and has approximately 30 miles of unpaved road and the rest are tracks which virtually are useless six or seven months of the year because of rains.”

He also pointed out that UNMIS was mandated as a monitoring mission, with lightly equipped force protection, and could not offer protection of civilians.

NEED TO REACH A DEAL OVER REFERENDUM

Sudanese government led by the National Congress Party and the former rebel SPLM/A signed a peace deal on January 9, 2005 putting an end of more than two decades of war where over 2 million people were killed and 4 million others uprooted.

The CPA includes a provision for a referendum on self determination for southern Sudan to be conducted in 2011 after the general elections in 2010.

Speaking about the difference between the two peace partners over the referendum bill, the UN Regional Coordinator for South Sudan showed optimism saying there is a room for accommodation and there is still space and time to reach an agreement.

“But it will require hard decisions in the very near future on how… both sides will live side-by-side either in a united Sudan or two separate countries,” he warned.

Yesterday a tripartite committee that includes the US, National Congress Party (NCP) and Sudan People Liberation Movement (SPLM) failed to break a deadlock on the referendum in a meeting held in Southern capital of Juba today.

On the referendum, the NCP insists that 75% votes in the affirmative to declare it favoring independence while the SPLM is pushing for a 51%.

“These decisions need to be made in the very near future because it will take time to put in place a commission for the ballot and the mechanics to put in place a free and fair vote.” The alternative is a “very real threat” of renewed conflict, Gressly said.

(ST)