LRA rebels raid Catholic mission Wednesday, 26th December,
2007 E-mail article Print article By Vision reporter
LRA rebels have attacked the Congolese town of Duru near the border of Sudan,
causing thousands of people to flee, the Missionary International Service News
Agency (MISNA) said.
The rebels attacked the town, a few dozen kilometres from the border with South
Sudan, looting the local Comboni mission, hospital and the house of the sisters
and briefly holding hostage an Italian priest, the missionaries website
reported yesterday.
The episode was referred to MISNA by the Comboni missionaries in the DR Congo.
It specified that the attack occurred on December 16 but was reported late due
to poor communications.
The rebels looted our mission, taking away everything they could carry,
stealing and throwing in the river our only two radios. They also took one of
our confreres (brothers), who was later released, threatening that they would
return, said the provincial superior, Father Fermo Bernasconi.
The real problem is the civil population. Though I cant say exactly how many,
I was told that thousands of terrified people fled Duru and surrounding
villages, seeking refuge in the forest, added the missionary.
Fr. Bernasconi said the attack was unprecedented. Since the Ugandan rebels
arrived in Congolese territory about two years ago and settled in Garamba
National Park, no actions against the civil population were reported. However,
local sources told MISNA that the United Nations Mission in Congo (MONUC)
peacekeepers stepped up pressures on the rebels, setting up bases in Dungu,
around 90km from Duru, from where they began repatriating some rebels.
The UPDF said it had no knowledge of the attack. We did not know about this,
said spokesman Maj. Felix Kulayigye. It confirms what (Gulu RDC) Walter Ochora
has been predicting: that they are preparing another offensive. By attacking
missionaries, taking away communication equipment and medicines, they are
preparing for war.
He added: We condemn the attack. We urge them to desist from such acts, which
jeopardise their chances of being forgiven.
Kinshasa and Kampala two weeks ago gave an ultimatum to LRA leader Joseph Kony
to leave Garamba by January 31 or be forced out.
Kony responded strongly over the weekend, accusing President Yoweri Museveni of
jeopardising the Juba negotiations, due to resume at the start of January.
The chances of reaching an agreement have become slimmer since Kony killed his
deputy, Vincent Otti, who had been the main interlocutor for the Government.
Otto Sunday, an LRA fighter who defected from Garamba last month, told Sunday
Vision Otti was killed over leadership wrangles and disagreements over the
peace process.
Otti had convinced Kony to engage in the peace talks and meet with Ugandan and
international mediators. But Kony reportedly accused Otti of attempting to kill
him after receiving foreign funds.
The LRA had requested funds from the international community to conduct
consultations on the peace process.
Museveni, too, mentioned that Otti was killed over donor money. The two
quarrelled over some 600,000 dollars from donors, he told northern leaders in
Gulu last week.
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