Uganda

LRA attacks Southern Sudan Army, peace talks likely to collapse

Article published on the 2008-06-05 Latest update 2008-10-09 15:20 TU

Joseph Kony, Ugandan leader of the Lord's Resistance Army
(Photo : AFP)

Ugandan insurgents of the Lords Resistance Army (LRA) Thursday attacked soldiers of Southern Sudan, near a rebel assembly point earlier set up as part of the peace process. The violence is a major threat to the peace talks between the Uganda government and rebels of the Lord's Resistance Army.

General Oyai Deng, the army chief of the former Sudan People's Liberation Army that now controls the semi-autonomous government of Southern Sudan, said today that the LRA attacked SPLA troops at Nabanga near the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Twenty people were killed, he said.

Just yesterday regional army chiefs announced that the LRA would face joint attacks by the armies of DRC, Uganda, the UN Mission Monuc and Southern Sudan Army unless they sign a peace accord which has already been agreed.

The LRA's elusive leader Joseph Kony called RFI and claimed that his forces only acted in self-defence after being attacked by what he termed a joint force of Ugandan and Sudanese troops.