Ugandan army claims killing 54 rebels in southern Sudan

KAMPALA, May 18, 2004 (dpa) — The Ugandan army has rained shells over a group of Lord’s Resistence Army LRA insurgents in a remote location in southern Sudan killing 54 rebels, a spokesman said Monday.

The rebels had looted food from Sudanese villagers and were taking it to their commanders when they were sighted by Ugandan army ground troops, spokesman major Shaban Bantariza said.

“We attacked them yesterday evening near Bin Rwot,” he said. “About 250 rebels were coming from Kulumus north of Magwii and were taking looted food.

“After crossing Jabulen road, the army caught with them and fought them killing 54. We bombed them from the air.”

Bin Rwot, about 80 kilometres from the nearest border point is inside Sudan’s embattled southern region from where the LRA have been launching attacks into northern Uganda for the past 17 years.

Under an agreement signed with the government in Khartoum two years ago, Ugandan troops have been combing the jungles of the region in their search for the LRA and occupied most of the rebels’ bases.

While some of the LRA are in active combat in southern Sudan, others are inside Uganda. On Tuesday, 23 fighters surrendered to government forces along with 54 other people including 20 women and juveniles who had been abducted by the rebels, regional military spokesman Lieutenant Paddy Ankunda said.

The 23 former rebels surrendered with 20 women, 10 children and 24 former abductees in the town of Pajule, about 380 kilometres north of Kampala, Ankunda said.