At least 43 civilians were killed in the Democratic Republic of Congo and in south Sudan by suspected rebels from Uganda’s Lord’s Resistance Army, a Ugandan army spokesperson said on Friday.
”[LRA leader Joseph] Kony is killing the Congolese,” said Ugandan army spokesperson Major Paddy Ankunda.
”They attacked civilians in the two areas of Faradge and Suke first on Christmas Eve and on Christmas Day itself,” he continued. ”Since December 24, the death toll has risen to 43.”
Troops from Uganda, the DRC and Sudan launched a military offensive on December 14 against the LRA, after Kony has repeatedly refused to sign a final peace agreement with the Kampala government.
Kony cites International Criminal Court arrest warrants against him and his lieutenants as reasons for not signing the peace accord finalised in April.
The LRA is accused of having raped and mutilated civilians, forcibly enlisting child soldiers and of massacring thousands during the two decades conflict in northern Uganda. – AFP
