October 21, 2010 (BAWO, W. EQUATORIA) – One person was killed and another injured Wednesday in a raid on a village near Yambio, the state capital of Western Equatoria state, in southern Sudan.

LRA rebels

The Lords Resistance Army (LRA), who originated from Uganda 20 years ago, are suspected of being behind the attacks according to Yambio county commissioner Angelo Mboringba Bakote.

“The Lord’s Resistance Army has levied a fresh attack in Bawo area in Yambio county on Wednesday 20th October 2010 at 9:00pm which left one man dead and a woman with broken leg,” Bakote said on Thursday.

The family of the deceased, told Sudan Tribune that, “the rebels appeared at 9:00pm when [we] were outside sitting, when we asked who they were, they opened fire, at [us] and started looting food items.”

Bakote said that local vigilante group, the Arrow Boys, who were recently armed by local authorities to fight the LRA, had pursued and clashed with the raiders.

“Arrow boys are still following vicious rebels and clashes between arrow boys and the rebels left two of the rebels killed by the vigilantes.”

The raiders attacked Bawo village, an area where displaced people were attempting to cultivate land.

The wounded woman, who identified herself as Theresa said that as all the men in the house scattered when the gunfire started she was left behind to carry her child from the room. While she was leaving the raiders noticed her and shot her in the leg.

After she was shot she the “LRA fighters began breaking [into] houses in the neighborhoods looting properties and food items.”

Several houses were burnt as they retreated.

Commissioner Bakote said that, “more security forces have been sent to reinforce the Arrow Boys to spot the notorious rebels.”

Intelligence sources from the Arrow Boys said they did not expect the rebels would be able to regroup easily as they would have to launch a hunt for LRA members who survived the Arrow Boys’ counter attack.

The LRA, is thought to have regrouped in Central African Republic (CAR) after evading a crackdown in neighboring Uganda, has stepped up attacks on communities in southern Sudan in recent months.

It twice attacked villages in Yambio county last August, meeting with stiff resistance, first from residents, and later from Ugandan forces. The clashes killed 8 people, including two women.

On October 16 the BBC reported that African Union announced that a Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan and Uganda would form a a joint military force to fight LRA.

The announcement was welcomed by the governor of Western Equatoria state Col Bangasi Joseph Bakosoro.

(ST)