Meanwhile , while the son of Kaguta is busy lying to Ugandanns and members of the International community mbuh ..the so called Kony rebels are in Soroti because of UPDF PRESSURE IN GULU AGAINTS THE REBELS in GULU "KONY" continues to abduct cititizens in Huge numbers ..... READ ON!!!!!
UGANDA� 24/6/2003 22:47
SOROTI: BISHOP’S SORROW FOR SUFFERANCE OF CIVILIANS AFTER THE KILLINGS, ABDUCTIONS AND PILLAGING�
Church/Religious Affairs, Brief
“I am very concerned and pray the Lord to stop this crazy spiral of violence”. This was the declaration made to MISNA by Monsignor Erasmus Desiderius Wandera, Bishop of Soroti, diocese of North-east Uganda (290km north-west of the capital of Kampala). “The numerous acts of violence perpetrated by the rebels of the LRA (lord’s Resistance Army) caused wide panic among my people. Thousands were displaced, that are now headed to the centre of Soroti from fear of new aggressions”. The prelate then spoke of a bus that was ambushed this morning by the Olum (as the rebels are called in the Acholi language) in a location 30km north of Soroti. The victims were apparently four, though there are no confirmations on the number of civilians. Monsignor Wandera then stated that 5 parishes of his diocese have been “visited by the rebels”. While in regard to the Catholic mission of Lwala, attacked last night by the LRA, who abducted 80 girls and anoth!
er 120 people of the surrounding villages, the Bishop expressed profound sorrow. Speaking then of the 70-year-old Mill Hill missionary, Father Meindhert Vanderhulst, beaten by the Olum in Lwala in the same circumstances, the prelate assured that he is miraculously safe, together with another diocesan priest, Father Francis Ejuru, also beaten by the rebels. [BO]
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UGANDA� 24/6/2003 19:06
REBELS ALWAYS FURTHER SOUTH: 200 PEOPLE ABDUCTED, PARTICULARLY YOUNG FEMALE STUDENTS�
Church/Religious Affairs, Urgent
At least 200 people, for the most part young boys and girls, were abducted by the rebels of the LRA (lord’s Resistance Army) in the North Ugandan region inhabited by the Teso and Kumam ethnic groups. The news was reported by MISNA sources, referring that the abduction occurred late yesterday evening at the Catholic Lwala Girls Senior Secondary School (Kaberamaido district, 40km north-west of Soroti), where 80 girls were forced to follow the rebels, who later raided the surrounding villages, taking hostage another 120 people, for the most part youths and women. Also a 70-year-old Dutch missionary of the local parish run by the Mill Hill missionaries, was involved in the raid. The missionary was beaten, but fortunately managed to reach safety, according to religious sources. Also three of the school girls managed to escape the rebels headed by Joseph Kony, a crazy visionary supported by the Khartoum government. Later, between 1-2:00 in the morning, three distinct units o!
f the LRA attempted to penetrate into the city of Soroti (290km north-west of Kampala) attacking on three fronts, but the government forces managed to repel the Olum (as the rebels are called in the Acholi language). A military spokesman today addressed the attack against Lwala, placing the number of people abducted at 100. The advance of the rebels south is the factor that most concerns the Ugandan civil society and preoccupies the regular forces, always more incapable of contrasting Kony’s crusade, aimed at overthrowing the government of President Yoweri Museveni to impose an old-testamentary decalogue in substitution of the Constitution in vigour in the African nation. Meanwhile, news arrived of the closing of the Catholic Radio Veritas, shut down by authorities because accused of issuing alarming information on the presence of Olum. But the chronicle of the past hours appears to clearly confirm the preoccupation expressed by the reporters of the radio. [BO]
