A new measure to tackle LRA’s activities

Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan and Uganda have agreed to form a join military brigade to tackle Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) militants operating in the shared border regions. The LRA, which was formed in Uganda almost 20 years ago by Joseph Kony, has recently mounted deadly attacks in all four countries.

The latest LRA attack was in the Central African Republic's northern town of Birao last Sunday [9th October]. A spokesman for the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) Adrian Edwards said the LRA has carried out more than 240 deadly attacks this year, killing approximately 344 people. Edwards added that the group’s activities also included looting, arson and abduction especially that of young girls.

The new measure to fight the LRA was agreed at Friday’s [15th October] meeting, by ministers of the four affected countries, in Central African Republic’s capital Bangui. The details about the size join venture have not been disclosed, but it is commonly believed that a military group to counter militant activity is thought to include at least 1,000 men.

The four ministers said there’d be a joint operations centre which would allow exchange of intelligence and strategy. The four countries concerned are also expected to set up joint border patrols which would be co-ordinated by special African Union (AU) representative.

Source: BBC News

For more news and expert analysis about the Sahara region, please see Sahara Focus.

South Sudanese vigilante group to be armed against LRA

Self-defence groups within Southern Sudan, namely the Arrow Boys vigilantes, are being supplied with guns to fend off increasing attacks from the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebels. According to Western Equatoria state governor, Joseph Bakasoro, the government will spend around $2 million arming the Arrow Boys.

The UN has estimated that LRA has forced around 25,000 Sudanese from their homes this year alone, and believes that the group now also has a strong presence in Central African Republic (CAR) and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), as well as Sudan.

"The home guard units will be trained and armed so that they can provide effective defence until the regular forces can intervene," said Bakasoro.

It is feared that LRA's attacks in Southern Sudan might increase ahead of January's referendum on the region's independence. Some Southerners believe that Northern political powers opposed to the region's independence are supplying the LRA with arms.

LRA's leader Joseph Kony began his rebellion 20 years ago, aiming to estabilish a Bible based theocracy in Uganda, but has since expanded the group's operations to Sudan, CAR and the DRC. Kony was to sign a peace deal in 2008, negotiated by Southern Sudan, but refused to disarm at the last minute. He is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC), and now lives an itinerant life between Sudan and the CAR.

Source: BBC News

For more news and expert analysis about the Sahara region, please see Sahara Focus.

LRA causing strife in Southern Sudan

Uganda's rebel group Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) is causing strife in Southern Sudan, and making it difficult for the country to rebuild its agriculture industry by ransacking the most fertile farming areas.

Talking about the persistent problem UN's top humanitarian official for Southern Sudan, Lise Grande, said that the LRA has “completely paralyze the breadbasket of Southern Sudan”.

The wider LRA affected area would produce about half of Southern Sudan's food under normal market conditions, she said.

“The World Food Programme during the course of 2010 is going to be feeding half the population. If the breadbasket for the area is paralyzed by these brutal, terroristic attackers, you can see that this one of the major causes of the crisis that we are facing here,” said Grande.

Source: Bloomberg

For more news and expert analysis about the Sahara region, please see Sahara Focus.