World Vision: Funding Urgently Needed for Western Equatoria

A new report launched by World Vision reveals that funding for protection forces and an early warning system for the state of Western Equatoria are desperately needed, in order to help prevent widespread looting, murder and rape in case of another Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) 'rampage' in the area.

In the report, Reluctant Hosts, World Vision staff in Sudan have described the people of Western Equatoria as still living in an "atmosphere of fear" despite current peace negotiations between the LRA and the Ugandan government.

The international community and national and local governments must take the potential for further LRA violence more seriously, and look to do all they can to protect the innocent citizens of the state, according to the report.

"In February 2007, the LRA left its hideout in the Democratic Republic of Congo and travelled north into Southern Sudan after peace talks between the government of Uganda and the LRA collapsed," said Seth Le Leu, programme director for World Vision in Southern Sudan.

"Its soldiers entered communities in the populations of Eastern and Western Equatoria, repeatedly attacking communities, abducting, looting, allegedly raping and killing its citizens."

He added: "The peace negotiations have thankfully now resumed. However, this has not put an end to the fear felt by people in Western Equatoria."

Under the terms of these renewed talks the LRA must assemble in one single place. This assembly point is within Western Equatoria and so these communities have once again been forced to become the reluctant hosts of this movement.

"Men, women and children are living in constant fear of any further attacks to the communities in Western Equatoria," Le Leu said.

World Vision's report highlights the devastation caused by the LRA to Western Equatorian citizens in times past, and stresses the need to include those communities' grievances in the current peace negotiations.

The report calls on the government of Southern Sudan and the international community to protect the citizens by properly training protection forces and by equipping them to do their job properly when violence flares.

In addition, the report recommends actions in making the people of Western Equatoria safer, such as funding an effective system of communication or clearing bushes and underground bordering roads along main roads.