By James Odong
And Ali Mao
MARAUDING Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebels yesterday morning abducted 289 people in Aromo and Ogur sub-counties in Erute north constituency, Lira district.

Deputy resident district commissioner (RDC) for Lira Johnson Bitamanya said he was yet to verify the number of people abducted.

Charles Engwau Egou, the RDC and district security committee chief, said he was not aware of the attack.

“I am in Kampala and I haven’t got that information,” he said.

Army spokesman Maj. Shaban Bantariza referred The New Vision to the UPDF 5th Division commanding officer, Col. John Mugume, whose cellular phone was off.

The area MP, Charles Angiro Gutomoi, had earlier told The New Vision at Parliament that the rebels struck Orata, Acut-kumu, Apuce, Arwot-omito and Walela in Aromo sub-county and Angolo-com parish in Ogur sub-county, abducting 250 people.

He said on Tuesday the rebels abducted 39 people from the same locations, about 20 miles north of Lira town. No captive had been rescued.

“The rebels have been in those areas since Easter Sunday and they have promised to come back today (yesterday) at 6:00pm,” Angiro said.

He said the LRA also killed an unspecified number of people including 11 local defence forces (LDUs) and displaced hundreds who were now in dire need of food, shelter and medical care.

The LC3 councillor for Arwot-omato, Jimmy Hamony, said the rebels had been in the area since Friday when the army foiled their attempts to attack Ogur and Aromo UPDF detachments.

Hamony said the rebels, who numbered about 25, split into groups, carried out the attacks in different parishes and re-grouped before vanishing towards Pader.

The abduction comes in the wake of a series of attacks, ambushes and abductions following the failure of the Governments attempts to talk peace with the rebels.

President Yoweri Museveni has ordered the army to resume operations against the rebels.
The rebels, who had been in contact with the peace team, led by reserve force chief Salim Saleh, have moved from Lapul sub-county in Pader district to Palabek, over 30km west of Kitgum town, where they are wreaking mayhem.

Thousands have been abducted by the LRA over the past 17 years.

Many who have escaped from the grip of Kony have undergone rehabilitation and returned home. But thousands are yet to be accounted for.
Ends