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LRA accused of crimes in South Sudan and DRC
A series of brutal attacks on civilians by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) in Southern Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo "may amount to crimes against humanity," according to a new report released on Monday by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Sudanese Civilians Displaced by Increasing LRA Attacks
Investigations by human rights staff into a series of brutal attacks on civilians in both countries was carried out between December 2008 and June 2009.
The attacks in DRC have been systematic and intense while the ones in South Sudan have been the job of splinter factions fleeing military offensives in the DRC. Nonetheless, says Rupert Colville, Spokesperson for the Human Rights Office, they have been equally deadly.
"It is smaller scale but equally vicious attacks, rape, brutal rape, sometimes women are raped and then killed afterwards. Mutilations, slaughter, burning of villages and pillaging. So these are really grotesque actions in both countries- within the DRC it is a bigger scale because that is really where the LRA ascended these days".
During the investigation, the UN rights agency catalogued the killing of about 1,200 people, and the abductions of about 1,400.
There are already 33 charges against indicted leader of the rebel movement, Joseph Kony, and his followers.
The report hopes to help bring more evidence to prosecute the LRA leadership.
Jocelyne Sambira, UN Radio.
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