2010-12-23 11:53:40

LRA makes fresh attack in southern Sudan


Just days before Christmas, the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), now based in Central African Republic, are reported to have killed at least two people, injured four and abducted an estimated 50 in a weekend attack in Southern Sudan. Nineteen aid agencies have called for efforts to prevent mass killings by one of Africa’s most feared rebel militias over the Christmas period.

Blamed for terrorizing northern Uganda for more than two decades, the LRA were pushed out of the areas by the Ugandan army in 2005 -- first into Sudan, but they have since spent more time in Democratic Republic of Congo and Central African Republic, after nearly two years of peace negotiations ended in failure.

Although the final agreement has not been signed, Uganda has been able to begin recovering from years of violence.

“It really an ongoing time of celebrating now in northern Uganda because peace has continued to prevail,” says Carol Morgan, Uganda country director for Concern – an Irish charity working in the world’s poorest countries.

Morgan says that with the help of the international community, people have made progress in rebuilding their villages and their lives.

Meanwhile, flooding in other parts of the country is severely affecting this year’s Christmas celebrations.

“A lot of people’s coping mechanisms are slowly eroding away,” Morgan told Vatican Radio. “Many of these houses, for this year, will not be able to afford to buy the animal [for Christmas dinner].”

Listen to Carol Morgan’s full interview with Kelsea Brennan-Wessels: RealAudioMP3








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