Rebels kill 22 in bar attack in northern Uganda
KAMPALA, Oct 15 (Reuters) - Rebels of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) raided a bar in Lira district in northern Uganda, rounded up bar patrons and gunned them down, killing all 22 of them, an army spokesman said on Wednesday.
"The incident occurred just after 7 p.m. local time (1600 GMT) when about 15 rebels rounded up the four women and 18 men and shot them to death," army spokesman, Second Lieutenant Chris Magezi told Reuters.
Magezi said the rebels fled into the bushes after the attack on Monday night, which he said took less than 30 minutes.
Led by self-proclaimed prophet and mystic Joseph Kony, the LRA say they want to overthrow President Yoweri Museveni's government but have never spelt out detailed demands in public.
The attack comes barely a month after the rebels killed 10 civilians in a market attack west of Lira district and fled into the bush without looting or abducting children.
The rebels are feared for maiming villagers and abducting children for use as sex slaves and child soldiers.
Uganda and Sudan this month renewed a year-old agreement to cooperate in flushing out the LRA from bases in southern Sudan following accusations by Uganda that its northern neighbour was supplying the rebels.
The Sudanese government said it would deal seriously with rogue army officers it suspects have been collaborating with the LRA in violation of the agreement.
Sudan's accord with Uganda in 2002 ended years of Sudanese support for the LRA widely seen in the region as retaliation for alleged Ugandan military support for Sudan People's Liberation Army rebels. Uganda denies it backs the SPLA militarily.
Museveni deployed more than 14,000 troops backed by helicopter gunships and tanks against the LRA last year but the rebels continue to maim, kill and abduct civilians.
Under pressure from government troops in their traditional operational areas in northern Uganda in June they fled to eastern Uganda where they have wreaked havoc.
10/15/03 04:25 ET
