Yesterday (4th December) as I was sitting with some friends in the local “pub” relaxing on a sunday afternoon, when a long exchange of gunfire erupted somewhere off in the distance. Not too distant cause it was very loud and everyone around us started moving quickly. i think had I not been at the pub and had not finished four bottles of Ugandan Bell, I might have been alot more startled than I was at the time.
We quickly took ourselves back to the main compound and spent the rest of the evening wondering what was going on. For about an hour or so after the initial gunshots, we could hear sporadic firing in a number of different locations, but nothing quite as heavy as that first round.
The information recieved this morning indicates that a group of Lord’s Resistance Army rebels came within the area of Maridi town, looted a compound run by ZOA and stole their radio and a few other objects. The gunshots we heard were either the LRA firing to scare people away, or other people firing at them. It seems that they abducted at least 4 people to use as porters to carry the items they stole. They came in very quickly, got what they were after and then disappeared.
Earlier in the day yesterday (Sunday 4th) it was also reported that 28 Lord’s Resistance Army rebels were spotted in a location about 10 kilometers from Maridi town. The SPLA (sudan people’s liberation army) attempted to apprehend them but were unable too. It appears the rebels made a big circle, avoiding areas with soldiers near them to work their way into the outskirts of Maridi town.
We had heard snippets of this information last night, but nothing was confirmed. Needless to say not too many people slept very well. Myself, I slept like a baby. Think it had something to do with the beer.
Right now no one seems to have any idea where these guys went or what they might be up to next. My colleage here says that they won’t attack the town or come this way again. He says if they do, he feels a bit sorry for them because the civilians are tired of being disturbed and everyone of them has a weapon and is ready to use it.
tags:maridi ZOA lord’s resistance army Bell Lager Sudan SPLA
[...] the Lord’s Resistance army attacked some more NGO’s and UN peacekeepers in the town of yambio over the weekend. different reports are coming out of the area that several people were killed and others wounded. This was the only news release I could find about the attack (from Xinhua). It indicates that the only people that were killed were LRA attackers and that some UN peacekeepers and a few locals were wounded in the fighting. This attack sounds similar to the attacks we experienced in Maridi in December. I talked with some folks that stay in maridi, and the reports they heard indicated that the Lord’s Resistance Army attacked two NGO compounds to loot communications equipment and other supplies. [...]