LRA rebels abduct more children in Western Equatoria’s Nzara
May 23, 2010 (NZARA, Western Equatoria) — The Ugandan rebels have abducted more three children in raids on one village in the Western Equatoria on Saturday night, a local chief said.
Narrating the ordeal of the attack, Chief Tartizio Bahu, told Sudan Tribune “Three young boys were abducted on Saturday night, LRA rebels raided several households in the Village, and looted food items, including cooking utensils.”
Chief Bahu further disclosed that, “the marauding rebels, ordered the mother of the abducted boys to lie down, they undressed everybody who was in that house and ordered the boys to carry the looted food and assorted non-food items (NFIs).”
Parents are often beaten cruelly, and in some cases brutally murdered, when rebels fail to find children in their homes.
Apparently, as part of initiation into the rebel movement, abducted children are forced into committing inhuman acts, including ritual killings and mutilations. Those who have managed to escape do tell of how they were forced to club to death other children who were not ‘properly cooperating’ with the orders of rebel commanders.
The abduction of children and their use as combatants is a war crime and a crime against humanity.
The chief said it is presumed the children have been taken to LRA bases in Congo used for attacks into Western Equatoria, and he is concerned for their safety. The chief, using Sudan Tribune has appealed to the UN Mission in Sudan to intervene in eradicating LRA from Western Equatoria.
No killing was committed, as many villagers took cover after learning of barbaric attack from the neighbourhood.
This is the fifth attack in a row carried by suspected LRA rebels in Western Equatoria; one of the attacks claimed the lives of three GOSS officials.
SPLA KILLS ONE REBEL ARREST THREE OTHERS
The Sudan People Liberation Army (SPLA) official spokesman Major General Kuol Deim Kuol, told Sudan Tribune they captured three LRA soldiers and one killed on separate in ambushes carryout in Western Equatoria on Friday by SPLA division two.
“On May 22, 2010, two company of battalion 138 of bridge eight of SPLA infantry division-two, killed one Lord Resistant Army (LRA) and three were captured in Ezo County of Western Equatoria,” Kuol said.
He said they have intelligence that the LRA rebels were sent to southern Sudan from Central African Republic in order to loot and disturb southern Sudan civilians.
The SPLA official urged local population to observe instructions given by the army for their safety and security.
He disclosed the killing of an education director by the Ugandan rebels because he had decided to travel despite SPLA advise based on intelligence collected in the troubled county of Ezo.
Kuol officially appeal to all passengers travelling by land to observe SPLA instructions and to seek SPLA escort to accompany them to Western Equatoria.
“I’m appealing to all the vehicles that are moving to first wait SPLA convoy to accompany, he said. I want to ensure civilians that SPLA is your army and we are here to defend them”.
Richard Ruati and Manyang Mayom contributed to this report.
(ST)