Rebels from the Ugandan rebel group, the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), killed one villager and abducted more than 30 others during raids on 9-10 January. This marks the worst activity by the group in several months. The attacks occurred in Diya, a remote diamond-producing area, 600km east of Bangui, capital of the Central African Republic (CAR). The group is noted for kidnapping people, particularly children, who are then typically trained as fighters or used as sex slaves. In this instance, those kidnapped were initially used to carry the items that the rebels had looted from the village. LRA spokesman Joseph Kony said he was “very happy” with the abductions.
Rebels from the Ugandan rebel group, the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), killed one villager and abducted more than 30 others during raids on 9-10 January. This marks the worst activity by the group in several months. The attacks occurred in Diya, a remote diamond-producing area, 600km east of Bangui, capital of the Central African Republic (CAR). The group is noted for kidnapping people, particularly children, who are then typically trained as fighters or used as sex slaves. In this instance, those kidnapped were initially used to carry the items that the rebels had looted from the village. Although the group’s members are now believed to number only several hundred, the LRA remains able to conduct attacks on civilians seemingly with impunity.