20100104
afrik.com

Reports from Democratic republic of Congo (DRC) reveal that Lord’s Resistance Army rebels attacked villages in very remote areas of Isiro -Niangara county in north-eastern DRC, where communication is very poor, and killed several people.

They also cut off ears and lips from others.

The incident happened two weeks ago, according to one of the leaders in the area, George Bokero who also said that the rebels attacked the village of Manbanga and killed several people.

"The rebels attacked Manbanga village and killed 14 people. They also cut lips and ears from a few others especially women. Some of the women have been admitted in Dungu hospital where they are being treated," Bokero said.

Several people have also fled their homes fearing that the rebels will attack and kill them.

The Bishop of Isiro- Niangara diosece, Julien Andavo Mbia, confirmed that he got information indicating that dozens of people were killed by the LRA in the village of Manbaga.

"I received the bad news from of the attack and killing of civilians from the area parish priest. But the place is not only far but also remote and so getting accurate information is not easy,’’ said the cleric.

He appealled to the government of Congo and NGO’s to come to the rescue of the affected people.

During the 2008 Christmas season, LRA attacked people praying in a village church in DRC and killed over 100 of them.

The United Nations has said that between September 2008 and June 2009, at least 1200 people were killed in the Eastern Province of the Congo. 1400 were kidnapped and 230,000 were driven away from their homes because of the violence attributed to the rebels.

LRA rebels, led by Joseph Kony, began fighting the government of Uganda in 1986. And for over 20 years they killed and wittingly maimed several thousands of civilians, cutting off lips and ears from many people.

In 2006 they relocated to Democratic republic of Congo and southern Sudan after government troops mounted pressure on them.

They still continue killing and abducting civilians.