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LRA rebels kill 18 in the north

[Uganda] Northern Uganda’s children live under constant threat of abduction by the LRA. Sven Torfinn/IRIN
Northern Uganda’s children live under constant threat of abduction by the LRA
    KAMPALA

    At least 18 people were killed and many more abducted when Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebels launched an attack on a village in Lira District, northern Uganda, on Wednesday night.

    Military and local government sources said on Thursday that the attack on Apala village occurred at around midnight. The army spokesman in Lira, Lt Chris Magezi, confirmed the assault and said this was the first time Apala had ever been an LRA target.

    "This was an attack on women and children. They abducted people and looted the place of all its food," Local Councillor Joel Otim told IRIN.

    Magezi said an army unit had been swiftly deployed to the scene. "Our commanders have not yet verified the deaths. Until they do, we can't be sure," Magezi added.

    The LRA have been fighting since 1986 under their leader, the enigmatic Joseph Kony. They say they want to replace the Ugandan government with a theocracy based on the biblical Ten Commandments, but their attacks have mostly targeted civilians in the rural north.

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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