Five people killed in Juba gunfire
Oct 29, 2006
SPORADIC gunfire rocked Juba on Thursday night for several hours.<br>Five people, including a baby, were reportedly killed in the shooting on the outskirts of the South Sudan town hosting the peace talks between Uganda and the LRA rebels.
By Henry Mukasa
in Juba
SPORADIC gunfire rocked Juba on Thursday night for several hours.
Five people, including a baby, were reportedly killed in the shooting on the outskirts of the South Sudan town hosting the peace talks between Uganda and the LRA rebels.
The gunfire pierced the usually tranquil night on the Juba-Gumbo road in a residential area opposite Civicon Oasis camp, where the Uganda peace delegation is staying.
As the gunfire reverberated, the LRA and government teams were locked in a closed meeting reviewing the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (CHA) at Juba Raha camp.
The shooting was mainly around Gumbo Bridge, a kilometre from the town centre, but there was also gunfire near Juba Raha.
A total of 17 suspected former militiamen were arrested by the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) near Gumbo Bridge.
When the shooting started at 10:00pm, the SPLA soldiers guarding chief mediator, South Sudan Vice-President Dr. Riek Machar, took position around the talks venue.
Machar was chairing the session, which was expected to culminate into the signing of an addendum to the CHA. The meeting that commenced at 6:00pm, ended at 2:20am.
The addendum, which sources said emphasises assembly of the LRA at designated areas, also seeks to strengthen the CHA and demand strict compliance.
The SPLA and South Sudan police carried out a massive operation on Thursday night, spilling over into Friday, in which foreign registered cars were impounded.
“The LRA will remain suspect unless they assemble. Why are they roaming in South Sudan?†a member of the government delegation asked.
“The chairman of the Cessation of Hostilities Monitoring Team (CHMT), Maj. Gen. Wilson Deng, could not be reached for comment.
But another security source said the recent ambush and the Thursday gunfire were masterminded by some Arab traders who were angry that goods from Uganda have flooded the Juba market and pushed the prices down.
The price of a beer, for instance, has dropped to one dollar from three dollars. The Juba trade is mainly controlled by former military officers who still have close links with the militias.
The Ugandan team leader, who is also internal affairs minister Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda, said the government of South Sudan is better placed to comment on matters within its territory.
“The government of South Sudan is investigating the people responsible for these activities and we are confident they will find who is responsible and deal with them,†Rugunda said.
He allayed fears that the delegation could be in imminent danger.
“Our team is safe and continuing with the peace talks,†he said.
The shooting renewed fears that the Juba-Nimule road is dangerous for unescorted vehicles.
On Wednesday, yet another grisly ambush was carried out and two trucks were burnt.
While the Ugandan team blames the attacks on the LRA “because they are similar in character with the ones they have carried out beforeâ€, GoSS officials and the SPLA attribute them to “sponsored insurgents.â€
Talks continued yesterday afternoon with the expected signing of the addendum to the CHA. In the evening, the talks switched to Agenda No.2 (comprehensive solutions to the causes of the war).
Sources said the parties could have a smoother ride on the item after contentious issues were discussed at executive level when President Museveni visited Juba last Saturday.
“That meeting took those issues out of our jurisdiction,†the source said.
The contentious issues included LRA’s demand for a federal system of governance in the north, two separate armies, semi-autonomy for the north, compensation and a string of constitutional amendments, which the Juba forum cannot effect.
in Juba
SPORADIC gunfire rocked Juba on Thursday night for several hours.
Five people, including a baby, were reportedly killed in the shooting on the outskirts of the South Sudan town hosting the peace talks between Uganda and the LRA rebels.
The gunfire pierced the usually tranquil night on the Juba-Gumbo road in a residential area opposite Civicon Oasis camp, where the Uganda peace delegation is staying.
As the gunfire reverberated, the LRA and government teams were locked in a closed meeting reviewing the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (CHA) at Juba Raha camp.
The shooting was mainly around Gumbo Bridge, a kilometre from the town centre, but there was also gunfire near Juba Raha.
A total of 17 suspected former militiamen were arrested by the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) near Gumbo Bridge.
When the shooting started at 10:00pm, the SPLA soldiers guarding chief mediator, South Sudan Vice-President Dr. Riek Machar, took position around the talks venue.
Machar was chairing the session, which was expected to culminate into the signing of an addendum to the CHA. The meeting that commenced at 6:00pm, ended at 2:20am.
The addendum, which sources said emphasises assembly of the LRA at designated areas, also seeks to strengthen the CHA and demand strict compliance.
The SPLA and South Sudan police carried out a massive operation on Thursday night, spilling over into Friday, in which foreign registered cars were impounded.
“The LRA will remain suspect unless they assemble. Why are they roaming in South Sudan?†a member of the government delegation asked.
“The chairman of the Cessation of Hostilities Monitoring Team (CHMT), Maj. Gen. Wilson Deng, could not be reached for comment.
But another security source said the recent ambush and the Thursday gunfire were masterminded by some Arab traders who were angry that goods from Uganda have flooded the Juba market and pushed the prices down.
The price of a beer, for instance, has dropped to one dollar from three dollars. The Juba trade is mainly controlled by former military officers who still have close links with the militias.
The Ugandan team leader, who is also internal affairs minister Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda, said the government of South Sudan is better placed to comment on matters within its territory.
“The government of South Sudan is investigating the people responsible for these activities and we are confident they will find who is responsible and deal with them,†Rugunda said.
He allayed fears that the delegation could be in imminent danger.
“Our team is safe and continuing with the peace talks,†he said.
The shooting renewed fears that the Juba-Nimule road is dangerous for unescorted vehicles.
On Wednesday, yet another grisly ambush was carried out and two trucks were burnt.
While the Ugandan team blames the attacks on the LRA “because they are similar in character with the ones they have carried out beforeâ€, GoSS officials and the SPLA attribute them to “sponsored insurgents.â€
Talks continued yesterday afternoon with the expected signing of the addendum to the CHA. In the evening, the talks switched to Agenda No.2 (comprehensive solutions to the causes of the war).
Sources said the parties could have a smoother ride on the item after contentious issues were discussed at executive level when President Museveni visited Juba last Saturday.
“That meeting took those issues out of our jurisdiction,†the source said.
The contentious issues included LRA’s demand for a federal system of governance in the north, two separate armies, semi-autonomy for the north, compensation and a string of constitutional amendments, which the Juba forum cannot effect.