UN concerned over terror campaign by rebels in central Africa

[News_Editor]

UN concerned over terror campaign by rebels in central Africa

2010-10-16 08:40:34 GMT+7 (ICT)

UNITED NATIONS (BNO NEWS) -- The United Nations (UN) refugee agency on Friday expressed concern over population displacement as a result from attacks by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebels in the Central African Republic and neighboring countries.

Last Sunday, rebels abducted a number of girls, looted property and set shops on fire in the town of Birao in the north of the Central African Republic (CAR).

Since December 2008, the LRA have murdered an estimated 2,000 people, abducted more than 2,600 others and displaced over 400,000 people, the UNHCR said.

An estimated 268,000 remain displaced in Orientale province in northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) while over 120,000 people remain in Western Equatoria in southern Sudan and 30,000 in the southeast of the CAR.

There are also more than 24,000 civilians who have been forced into exile.

"The LRA's campaign of terror against civilians has intensified since September," with attacks in the CAR, DRC and southern Sudan, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) spokesperson Adrian Edwards said.

Northeastern DRC has seen at least six attacks and three ambushes in the last few weeks, all in the Haut Uélé district. In a single village, Nambiongo, at least 21 people were killed and around 2,500 people were displaced. Additionally, panic as a result of the attack forced some 2,000 people to flee Dungu.

In southern Sudan, the LRA also attacked the villages of Ribodo and Nahua in Western Equatoria state on September 4, killing eight people and displacing 2,600 others.

So far this year, the group, whose origins are in Uganda, has carried out more than 240 deadly attacks against civilians in the countries where it is active. At least 344 people have been killed.

People living in remote villages are often the victims of the group's violence, which includes indiscriminate killings, abductions, rape, mutilation, looting and the destruction of property.

Insecurity and poor infrastructure hamper the carrying out of needs assessments and the delivery of aid to affected communities. Many people are traumatized and too scared to return to their farms to cultivate their land, rendering them dependent of humanitarian aid, according to UNHCR.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2010-10-16

[brahmburgers]

From what I've heard about that group, LRA - they sound really bad - even worse (if that's possible) than the awful people cutting off arms in Sierra Leone not long ago.

If ever there was a good reason for African troops to mobilize, go in there and wipe out the LRA - every last one - this is it. No trials, just old fashioned mass executions or carpet bombing of their home villages.

With mass rapes, there will also be mass births 9 months hence, and scrourges of AIDS - as if Africa needs any more other those things. The new babies will all be unwanted - probably abused, - so the cycle of misery continues.

Who ever said 'humans are the smartest species,' must have been a bad comedian.