LRA Supported by GoS Launch Fresh Attack on Moti
Equatoria Defence Forces (EDF)
Hundreds of Ugandan Lords Resistance Army (LRA) rebels supported still by Government of Sudan ( GoS) Army have launched fresh full attack on the village of Moti about 10 miles from Torit. Moti is under the control of EDF forces of the SPLA.
According to Commanders Obotu Mamur and (SPLA) and Martin Kenyi (EDF), LRA rebels moved on Moti at 05:00 a.m. this morning (23rd July 2004) and attacked our positions and our forces engaged them in heavy fighting. According to our commanders in the battlefield our positions have been strafed time again and again by GoS army helicopter gunship in aid of the LRA rebels. This is the first time GoS have aided LRA rebels with helicopter gunships in their campaigns against EDF/SPLA forces and of overrunning Eastern Equatoria villages.
The gallant forces of EDF continue to hold their ground in Moti and Commanders Obotu Mamur and Martin Kenyi are throwing all resources at their disposal to our troops to avoid the fall of Moti to enemy forces.
We shall let you know the outcome of the fighting and details of the casualties at the earliest opportunity; but the battle is raging on currently.
It is worth mentioning that about four days go LRA rebels overrun villages East of Polu towards Kapeota and killed dozens of villagers and made away with about 2,000 heads of cattle. EDF forces were unable to intercept those LRA looters because of remoteness of the villages from our forces.
We call upon all peace loving people of South Sudan to come to the aid of EDF forces of the SPLA and that of Eastern Equatoria citizens because we cannot achieve peace when Islamic Government of Sudan has declared full scale war in Equatoria. We again call on SPLM, IGAD and International community, please you cannot achieve peace by ignoring the fighting in Equatoria; this carnage has to stop and the sooner the better for the peace process.
Charles Barnaba Kisanga
– Secretary General
– Equatoria Defence Forces (EDF)
– Tel: +44117 959 4549
– E-mail: [email protected]