LRA denial of christmas church massacre rejected


Reading time 1 min.
arton15097

Following a collapse in the peace process between the Uganda’s army and the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebels, 100 civilians in a Catholic church in the Democratic Republic of Congo have been slaughtered in a show of rebellion and anarchy.

Bodies of the women and children, with deep cuts are littered inside and outside the church, reports claim.

The Lords Resistance Army has been accused of the christmas massacre but a rebel spokesman has denied responsibility for the killings.

An eyewitness, Abel Longi, was reported as revealing that the killers had dreadlocked hair, spoke the Acholi language and had a good number of young boys among them, “I hid in bush near the church and heard people wailing as they were being cut with machetes,” he said.

According to experts, Abel’s description of the killers fits the features and characteristics of LRA rebels.

Uganda’s government had been involved in lengthy peace negotiations with the LRA, hosted by the South Sudanese government. But LRA leader Joseph Kony has demanded that arrest warrants for him and his associates be dropped before any agreement can be struck.

The UN says at least 189 people were killed in several attacks last week and some reports say more than 100 people were killed in the church alone.

The armies of Uganda, South Sudan and DR Congo carried out a joint offensive against the rebels, mid-December, after Mr Kony again refused to sign a peace deal

The LRA leader, who has lived in a jungle hideout in north-eastern DR Congo for the last few years, is wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

DR Congo  Read latest news and features from DR Congo : business, politics, culture, life & style, entertainment and sports
Support Follow Afrik-News on Google News