Two de-miners killed in ambush on Juba-Nimule road

Suspected Ugandan rebels killed two de-miners from the Swiss Foundation for Mine Action (FSD) in southern Sudan on Monday, in an ambush believed to have been staged by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), the UN Mission in Sudan said. According to preliminary reports, the de-miners were driving along the Juba-Nimule road in a three-vehicle FSD convoy. The victims of the attack, who were in the lead vehicle, were stopped by three armed men, taken out of the truck and killed, the UN reported. The occupants of the other two vehicles turned around and took refuge in a nearby camp of the Sudanese armed forces. Two soldiers from the Sudanese armed forces were also reportedly wounded during the attack. Jan Pronk, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sudan, condemned the killings and expressed his outrage at "this cowardly attack that jeopardises the UN and partners’ efforts in clearing vital roads to ensure the safety of returnees and pave the way for economic reconstruction of southern Sudan". Pronk, in a statement, called for a speedy investigation to establish the exact circumstances of the attack, identify the perpetrators and bring them to justice. He also urged the Sudanese government and the government of southern Sudan to ensure the safety and security of all humanitarian workers and to expedite their joint effort to contain armed groups still active in southern Sudan, including the rebel LRA. Relief organisations in southern Sudan have complained of an upsurge in LRA violence in recent weeks. Two aid workers were killed in attacks in northern Uganda last week, prompting several NGOs to suspend work in the region. Tens of thousands of people have been killed and close to 1.5 million driven out of their homes in northern Uganda since the start of the rebellion against the Ugandan government 20 years ago. LRA leader Joseph Kony and his forces have been accused by human rights groups of massive abuses, including the abduction of at least 20,000 children who are used as porters, fighters and sex slaves for LRA commanders. In early October, the Sudanese government gave the Ugandan army the right to operate throughout southern Sudan as long as its activities were coordinated with Sudanese authorities. The International Criminal Court, investigating war crimes committed during the conflict in northern Uganda, this month issued its first arrest warrants for five LRA commanders, including Kony, who is thought to be hiding in southern Sudan.