Guess Who's Back

On the morning of the 18th of September I attended a meeting with the Police State Commissioner of the SSPS and this is where I first learned that the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) had returned. He told me that the LRA had attacked the payam of Sakure which is located in Nzara County approximately 52 kilometres from Yambio and that one SPLA soldier had been killed and two wounded.

The LRA was supposed to be signing a peace agreement with the Government of Southern Sudan this last Wednesday, the day before the attack. Over the last few days I have attended several meetings with the Minister of Security for the Western Equatoria State, National Security, and the upper brass of the SSPS to obtain updates on the situation in Sakure. The most accurate information is that the LRA attacked the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) barracks in the early morning hours at approximately 0500. The belief is that they were there for weapons and ammunition. The SPLA were caught off guard and had to flee. Eventually they were able to regroup and force the LRA back over the border to the Congo.

One SPLA soldier was killed and another soldier along with a female were wounded. The UNMOS (United Nations Military Observers) Team Site Leader and I attended the local Yambio hospital to where they were taken to see if we could get more details on the incident. The injured female was the wife of an SPLA soldier and had taken a bullet to the upper thigh. The injured SPLA solider had three gun shot wounds to the neck, shoulder and hand. We spoke to the female first who was able to give us some information. We could not speak to the male soldier though. He was pretty messed up. He was just standing next to his bed staring straight ahead. His shirt was off and you could see the wounds to his neck, shoulder, and hand. It was a little odd. The wounds were exposed and you could see the flesh that had been ripped away from his shoulder due to the angle the bullet had entered, but he was not bleeding. When we left the room he followed us rocking back and forth shuffling his feet like a zombie. The doctor had to yell at him to go back to his bed which he finally did.

Through the information gathered, we learned that in addition to the mentioned casualties and wounded, when the LRA fled Sakure they burned several homes including the Sakure Chief’s home. A baby that was asleep in the Chief’s home died in the fire. In addition, 15 people, including adults and children, were abducted. 4 LRA were killed and 5 wounded. This information came from 2 abductees who had escaped and had been forced to carry the bodies. The LRA also attacked a village on the Congo side of the border. They raided a school there and it has been reported that approximately 50 children were abducted and several of them killed. There are now 350 displaced people that have relocated to Gangura approximately 30 kilometres from Yambio.

At this time it is business as usual for us. I am assuming that our security level will be raised again which will limit us on what medium and long range patrols we can do, but so far we have not received any direction.

Peace from Yambio,

Rory

(Photos from top to bottom: 1) SPLA soldier. The scarring on his head indicate that he is an established soldier, 2) Bullet holes at the SPLA barracks in Sakure, 3) Wounded Sakure villager 1, 4) Wounded Sakure villager 2, 5) Mohammed (aka Joseph) KONY - Commander of the Lord's Resistance Army. People worship him like a god and some believe that he has magical powers) - Photos are courtesy of Yambio Team Site UN Civil Affairs