Armed attacks by unidentified group in southern Sudan concern UN officials

Members of an unidentified armed group have launched a series of violent attacks against locals in southern Sudan’s Central Equatoria state over the past month, prompting United Nations officials to organize the distribution of basic relief supplies to the affected population in the already impoverished region.

The UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) reports that the attacks have taken place across three counties in Central Equatoria, which borders Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), since mid-January.

All the attacks have been characterized by violence, looting and abductions, although some of the people abducted were released subsequently. So far there is no confirmed toll of deaths or injuries.

UNMIS says locals claim the attacks are being carried out by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), the notorious rebel group that has been fighting Government forces across northern Uganda for the past two decades.

UN spokesperson Michele Montas told reporters today that several UN humanitarian agencies, including the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), have committed to distributing basic supplies to the affected populations.

The World Food Programme (WFP) has also undertaken to deliver supplies as soon as the agency, which is undertaking an assessment, has a clearer picture of the security situation in Central Equatoria.