LRA kill three, injure another in S. Sudan attack

November 28, 2013 (JUBA) – Suspected Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebels attacked five villages in South Sudan’s Western Equatoria state, killing three people and injuring one, aid agencies said.

An armed fighter of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) stands guard in 2006 in Ri-Kwamba, southern Sudan. (file/AFP)

The incident, the UN humanitarian coordination office (OCHA) said, occurred in Ezo and Tambura counties early this month.

The attackers reportedly looted food and medical supplies, and burned several huts, forcing the population in some villages to flee to neighbouring areas for safety.

“The displacement is considered temporary, and despite the property lost and damaged in the attacks, no major disruptions to livelihoods or need for emergency assistance have been reported,” OCHA said in its latest bulletin.

These, it stressed, were the first suspected LRA-attacks in South Sudan since August 2011, adding that last month’s offensive against its bases in the Central African Republic (CAR), may have pushed them eastwards in search for supplies.

Western Equatoria, according to OCHA, still hosts over 8,000 refugees, displaced from the CAR and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) by LRA attacks.

KONY IN SURRENDER TALKS

Recently, however, media reports have quoted CAR officials as saying they are in contact with the LRA leader Joseph Kony who, they say, is in bad health and wants assurance over his security after surrendering.

The CAR President, Michel Djotodia was quoted saying that his government was in negotiations with Kony.

"Joseph Kony wants to come out of the bush. We are negotiating with him".

Kony and his senior commanders were indicted by the Hague-based International Criminal Court (ICC) in 2005. The elusive LRA leader is accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

(ST)