The Monitor (Kampala)
June 18, 2003
Posted to the web June 18, 2003
Richard M. Kavuma, Patrick Ebong, Patrick Elobu Angonu and Ayub Kirunda Kakaire
Kampala
Rebels yesterday attacked and burnt down the Alito camp for internally displaced people at Obalanga, in Katakwi.
This was the second Lord's Resistance Army rebel attack on Obalanga in two days.
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The Regional Police Commander, Mr Bob Ngobi, confirmed that the rebels had also attacked Olwa trading centre in Orungo sub-county.
The rebels had also abducted a woman and her four children, Mr Ngobi said.
Obalanga sub-county LC-V Councillor Julius Ochen said that the rebels are addressing rallies in the villages and are still camping in Amususu, Kuju sub-county, in Amuria County.
He said that thousands of people have been displaced.
The rebels also circulated leaflets denouncing the government and the failed peace process.
Col. Charles Tabuley Ongayowangtyet signed the hand-written leaflets dated 16 June.
Col. Tabuley reportedly led the LRA attack on Obalanga sub-county in Katakwi on Monday.
Four people were killed in that attack.
According to the leaflets, the LRA would continue fighting the government to end the killings of innocent people in northern Uganda.
The leaflets said that Mr Yoweri Museveni's government is arming Karimojong warriors to grab the wealth of the Acholi, Langi, Iteso and the Kumam.
The leaflets claimed that even innocent Karimojong are being killed.
The leaflets blamed Mr Museveni for not responding to the LRA's peace overtures.
The two-page leaflets that are circulating in Obalanga are written in Acholi and English.
The UPDF has, however, moved to repulse the rebels who were reportedly advancing toward Amuria and Kapelebyong.
Truckloads of soldiers were yesterday seen moving toward suspected LRA positions in Aojakitai Parish, Kuju sub-county.
Elsewhere, an uneasy calm prevailed in Lira town in neighbouring Lango, with people arriving from surrounding villages amidst fears of fresh rebel attacks.
People were fearful that Lira Municipality, whose surrounding areas suffered attacks by the LRA rebels on Sunday, could be the rebels' next target.
The Lira District Chairman, Mr Frank Odur, condemned Sunday's attacks in which at least 15 people were killed and close to 100 abducted.
Mr Odur urged the (UPDF) High Command to send senior commanders back to Lira to boost the morale of the soldiers.
Residents claim that the morale of the soldiers in the district is very low.
A local official said that in some sub-counties such as Aromo, the rebels are roaming freely.
The Monitor was, however, unable to independently verify these claims of rebels roaming freely in Aromo.
The Lira Municipality MP, Ms Cecilia Ogwal, said that there was a lot of panic, with people running around.
"People are coming in from Aromo, Ogur and Otuke areas," she said on phone.
A hasty security meeting was held in the Lira RDC's office on Monday afternoon.
The deputy RDC, Mr John Butamanya, chaired the meeting that was also attended by Maruzi MP Jovino Akaki. Mr Akaki is also the Minister of State for Tourism.
Other people at the meeting included the District Police Commander, Mr Godfrey Aropet, and the UPDF officer in charge of operations, Mr Joel Komakech.
A talk on security scheduled for Monday evening on Radio Unity was, however, cancelled.
No reason was given but The Monitor learnt that the cancellation was because the rebels had threatened to attack the radio station.
In September last year, rebels burnt down Radio Wa at Ngetta, some 6 miles outside Lira town.
Ms Ogwal told The Monitor that some rebels had wandered into the Adyelo division of the municipality but failed to find Radio Unity, which they wanted to burn down.
The army spokesman, Maj. Shaban Bantariza, yesterday said that the two districts of Katakwi and Lira are now calm.
He said that the panic by residents is understandable, coming just within days of Sunday's attacks.
"But the thugs have sneaked back into their villages. Lira is not a friendly territory for them," Maj. Bantariza said on phone.
Meanwhile, the Gulu Archbishop John Baptist Odama has said that he is shocked that LRA rebels are now targeting Catholic priests and missionaries.
The LRA leader, Mr Joseph Kony, last week reportedly ordered the killing of all priests and the destruction of Catholic missions.
"Up to now the war in the Acholi sub region has been political and if it is now taking a religious turn, I am very much surprised. I am asking myself who might be behind all this," the archbishop said on the BBC radio.
Fr Joseph Gerner at the Catholic parish in Kitgum said that the clergy would not desert their flock despite the death threats from the rebels.
"This is very strange; this change, given that before it was only the Catholic Church they said they would trust," Fr Gerner told the UN's Integrated Regional Information Network (IRIN).
"I can only guess that someone must be telling him [Kony] that we are against them."
Fr Carlos Rodriguez, a member of the Acholi Religious Leaders Peace Initiative said: "Kony is clearly angry about the fact that we helped some LRA [fighters] to finally come out. But we won't stop."
The priest said that the church is "still ready to receive anyone who wants to renounce the killing of innocent civilians".
