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LRA chops off lips, breasts
By Wokorach Oboi
and Chris Ochowun
"LORD�S Resistance Army (LRA) rebels" on Saturday morning again cut off lips, ears and breasts of three women and abducted several others in Kitgum district.
The tragic incident happened in Cwiny Muribe village in Patika Agoro sub-county.
The victims included Sabina Abwor, 30 and Bulkeriya Aciro, 42, whose ears and lips were cut off. Both were admitted at St. Joseph�s Hospital in Kitgum.
Another woman, whose identity was not established, had her breasts chopped off by the rebels. She was admitted at Cwiny health centre waiting for transport to the main hospital. A survivor said they were on their way to fetch firewood.
Josephine Acayo, a survivor looking after the victims at the hospital, said they were about 30 women when the rebels ambushed them.
They were about one- and-half kilometre away from Patika IDP camp. The camp is in Lamwo county, about 30 miles from Kitgum town.
<
BR>She
said there were three rebels armed with AK-47 guns. The third had a machete. Acayo said the youngest rebel aged about 16 years, chopped off the women�s lips. One of the rebels, who appeared to be their commander, had one arm.
One of the victims whose lips were chopped off had a baby. The rebels plucked three other babies off their mother�s backs and handed them over to one of the women called Regina Acii as their mothers were taken captive. Acii was hit with a gun butt, but left to return to the camp.
Survivors quoted the rebels as saying that they would kill the women captives if the UPDF pursued them.
The northern army spokesman, Lt. Tabaro Kiconco, said the UPDF troops would track down the rebels.
�Our forces are tracking the attackers to make sure that they are punished for the crimes they are committing against humanity,� he said.
Early this month, the rebels attacked Dzaipi sub-county in Adjumani district, killing seven people an
d cut
off the lips of eleven others.
Tabaro cautioned internally displaced persons against going into the bushes without security, saying they were exposing themselves to danger.
Meanwhile, the UPDF has rescued 23 children abducted by the rebels in Apac district on Friday.
Kiconco said the children were rescued in Nora in Aber sub-county and in Minakulu sub-county in Oyam South.
Published on: Monday, 21st March, 2005 |
