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Sent: Thursday, October 16, 2003 4:47 AM
Subject: Acholi MPs Rush Home After New LRA Attacks


Acholi MPs Rush Home After New LRA Attacks


    
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The Monitor (Kampala)

October 14, 2003 
Posted to the web October 15, 2003 

Ssemujju Nganda
Kampala 

Members of Parliament from Acholi sub-region flew back home on Monday afternoon to attend a meeting on the security situation there.

The meeting, although planned earlier, came after the Friday attack on Pajule trading centre in Pader district in which about 500 people were abducted by rebels of Lord's Resistance Army (LRA).


Agago MP Prof. Morris Latigo Ogenga told The Monitor on Monday morning that they were due to fly by Eagle Air at around midday.

The meeting was to take place in Kitgum. The MPs went to Kitgum to join district, religious and traditional leaders for the two-day meeting. It was organised by district chairmen and facilitated by the Catholic Relief Service.

Prof. Latigo and Army Spokesman Maj. Shaban Bantariza gave conflicting accounts of what happened on Friday morning when the rebels attacked.

Latigo said that about 300 LRA fighters descended on the trading centre at around 6 am and overran it.

"If they overran it, how come we killed 17 of their fighters?" Maj. Bantariza asked. He accused MPs including Latigo of interpreting attacks to suit their political thinking.

Latigo had earlier said that he contacted people on the ground including Pader LC-V Chairman E. Y. Komakech and they told him that the trading centre was overran.

He said that the rebels rounded up about 500 people and made them carry their loot. He said that upon reaching their hideouts in the bush they chose to release a traditional leader Mr Rwot Oywak.

Oywak refused to leave because he had been abducted with so many people. Latigo said that the rebels decided to release him together with 400 people. He said about 100 people were still in the hands of the rebels.

"We are going to discuss the way forward," he said referring to the MPs' meeting. Bantariza, however, said Latigo was telling lies.

He said that the 400 people were never released but were abandoned by the rebels under pressure from the UPDF 35th Battalion. He said that it was not also true that all the abandoned abductees were from Pajule.

He said that different rebel groups under Vincent Otti, Tolbert Yadin and one Odyambo abducted people from different areas.

He admitted that some people were still in captivity but he did not know the number.

Meanwhile, the rebels killed two escorts of the 509 Brigade Commander Lt Col. Paul Lokech who were reinforcing the Pajule Local Defence Unit when the rebels attacked it.

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