New Vision (Kampala)
July 14, 2003
Posted to the web July 14, 2003
Chris Ochowun
Kampala
OVER 3,000 residents of Olego village, Bibia parish in Atiak sub-county, Gulu have fled to Nimule in Southern Sudan.
This follows repeated attacks in the area by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebels, sources said on Friday.
Atiak LC3 chairman George Odong confirmed that residents were fleeing to Southern Sudan and that others had fled to Adjumani district.
The sources said the LRA had threatened to kill more than 100 residents in an attack similar to that of 1994, when the rebels massacred over 260 residents in cold blood.
Odong said the residents fled due to lack of security.
He said they were willing to return if a UPDF detachment was set up in the area.
He said at the time the area had few UPDF soldiers.
Odong said the Catholic Relief Services commissioner based in Southern Sudan had recently gone to Bibia to discuss with the local leaders the plight of the displaced people.
Odong said the displaced were faced with acute food and water shortages coupled with poor sanitation facilities.
"Our people are liable to getting diseases like cough, dysentery and measles due to the poor conditions," Odong said.
However, the UPDF 4th Division commander in Gulu, Col. Nathan Mugisha, said he was not aware of such a big number of people displaced from Bibia to Nimule.
