EU political advisor pledges support to W. Equatoria’s fight against LRA
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September 20, 2011 (KAMPALA) - The political adviser of European
Union’s Special Representative to great Lakes Region, Philippe Maughan
has met the governor of Western Equatoria to discuss EU plans to
support civilian protection from Ugandan rebels the Lord’s Resistance
Army (LRA).
JPEG - 31.9 kb
European Union of the European Special Representative to great Lakes
Region, Consiluim Philippe Maughan. (ST)
At a brief meeting with the governor, Philippe said the “EU and other
international partners are concerned about the LRA atrocities in South
Sudan". Western Equatoria in particular has been terrorised for the
past 5 years after the group were forced out of northern Uganda.
He stated that the EU is working hard to provide support for the civil
protection, detection programs, support to displaced camps and
resource centers where abducted children are cared for in the state.
The state governor Bangasi Joseph Bakosoro said security remains the
“priority for the state". South Sudan became independent in July as
part of a 2005 peace with North Sudan. Throughout the conflict South
Sudan accused Khartoum of supporting the LRA and allegation denied by
the ruling National Congress Party.
Bakosoro disclosed that LRA atrocities have affected the state’s
economic activities, especially agriculturally, as farmers have been
displaced from their farms.
“This has caused food insecurity in [...] Western Equatoria [which
used to be] referred to as the bread basket of South Sudan during the
21 years of struggle against Khartoum regime,” said the governor.
He said development funds that should be spent on providing basic
services are instead used to feed South Sudan’s army and local home
guards formerly called Arrow Boys to protect the local population. The
home guard’s were vigil antis set up to counter the LRA insurgency.
Earlier this year they were recognised by the government now receive
state support.
“What the home guards are doing is only self-defense, because the
state is abundant like it has no government that is why we defend to
survive” stressed the governor.
The former South Sudan’s lawmakers approved about 5 million Sudanese
pounds ($1.87 million) to aid the Arrow Boys but the money has not
been released to the state up to present.
The movements of the rebels in the past few months have reduced after
a sustained attempt to monitor and trace the LRA’s whereabouts near
the border of DR Congo, the governor said.
Governor Bakosoro urged the EU and African Union to provide the state
with FM radio boosters that can reach the DR Congo as most captured
LRA rebels say they listen to the radio.
“If the local FM radio can reach Congo, messages can be sent to the
LRA to surrender as it was successful in northern Uganda” he said.
Most of the LRA are thought to have been kidnapped as children and
forced to fight in the rebel army. Leaving is punishable by death but
in Northern Uganda radio programmes promising an amnesty have proved
an effective way to encourage soldiers to defect.
The LRA’s stated aim is to govern Uganda by the Bible’s 10
commandments. The group have committed terrible human rights abuses
against the communities they attack and the children they capture.
(ST)
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