The Comboni Sisters, our local partners in Nzara in southern Sudan, have reported back to us about more recent attacks by LRA (Lord’s Resistance Army) soldiers in Nzara’s neighbouring villages.     

Sister Giovanna Calabria wrote…Refugees in Nzara from border regions with DRC and CAR. Picture taken by Sister Giovanna Calabria.
“Today, 14th November, at 10 a.m I went to verify what happened the previous evening in Beremanga, on the road going to Nasikisa. I saw the bodies of the 4 people killed by the LRA: Mr. Daniel Kpangakpo with his daughter Jeniti and Mr. Attilio Gadia (who was a worker of the complex [the Comboni’s) with his son, Atio.

This is what happened through the words of Attilio's wife who able to escape in the confusion: It was 6 p.m. of Friday 13th November when six LRA, three of them holding a gun, came to Attilio's house, guided by an abducted man. They asked for food and Attilio’s wife offered cassava leaves, but they refused and asked for cassava roots; Attilio sent his son Atio to go to the field and uproot the cassava.
The LRA soldiers explained to Attilio that they wanted to surrender, they enquired about the presence of the UPDF soldiers in the area. Attilio offered himself to accompany them to Nzara to surrender.  LRA then asked about their neighbor; Attilio sent his son on his bicycle to collect his neighour Daniel. Daniel’s daughter Jeniti followed them on foot. As Daniel they all started to discuss what to do next, but suddenly the atmosphere changed and LRA began shooting. They killed Attilio, his son and Daniel. The abducted man managed to escape into the bush and saved himself.
Daniel's daughter Jeniti arrived later as she was on foot. She came to see what was happening and she was also shot.

Today, Sunday 15th November people found in Beremanga, area of Tumba, three bodies killed probably on Friday morning with their head crushed. The LRA does this to spare bullets.
SPLA [Sudan People's Liberation Army, predominantly Christian Sudanese rebel movement turned political party] soldiers and the police came to check. They found the bodies of a man and couple living in the area. They had gone to see if the trap they put previously had captured an animal. On the way back they probably met the LRA and were killed.”

The LRA soldiers who initially told Attilio and his family they wanted to surrender to the Ugandan army may have been telling the truth. IRT is hearing more frequent reports of individual LRA rebels who return to Uganda. An 'arrow boy' shows his choice of weapon to stand up against the LRA.Through an agreement within the
Ugandan government, LRA soldiers are allowed to return and be forgiven, hoping that this will allow them to re-integrate into society and so end the bitter violence.  For whatever reason, these soldiers appear to have lost their nerve (there are rumours that the reconciliation agreement is just a ploy to get LRA soldiers to come out of the bush so that the Ugandan army can arrest them). As a result, innocent people once again lost their lives due to LRA violence.

Furthermore, Sister Giovanna informed us of the people’s support in southern Sudan for a new group fighting the LRA, called ‘arrow boys’. The arrow boys are group of boys and men who use traditional weapons such as bows, arrows, spears and clubs, treated with poison to fight the LRA. As Sister Giovanna pointed out, the LRA hardly have access to guns and bullets anymore, therefore resorting to axes, knifes and even bits of wood to harm civilians. The arrow boys aim to protect their families and villages.

Clearly civilians are taking fate into their own hands, as their governments are unable to get rid of the LRA. These people need support. As the LRA is becoming a regional problem, cooperation between the affected countries and their governments is essential. We are hoping that with international pressure, this cooperation can become a reality in the near future.

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