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22 hacked to death in Uganda
01/09/2003 13:20 - (SA)
Kampala - Ugandan insurgents killed 22 civilians and abducted an unknown number at the weekend in the northern and northeastern regions of the country, officials said on Monday.
The Lords Resistance Army (LRA) killed eight people on Sunday after marching them from a suburb of the district town of Soroti, about 350km northeast of the Ugandan capital, Kampala, said the army spokesperson.
"It is true, they were killed, but there were no abductions known to the army," said Major Shaban Bantariza on Monday.
The LRA moved into Soroti and three other adjoining north eastern districts early last month after moving southeast all the way from the northern region where they had been fighting a rebellion for more than 16 years.
Their routine involves the killing and abducting of civilians, mostly youths whom they force to join their war, which has displaced more than 800 000 people.
Taken from the camp and marched northwards
The attack on Soroti took place as President Yoweri Museveni was camped in the town to oversee an army operation against the LRA.
In a related development, the guerrillas on Friday killed 14 people and abducted an unknown number of others in Okwaga village in the northern district of Lira, about 330km from Kampala, a member of parliament for the area, Daniel Omara Atubo, said on Monday.
"Okwaga is a big trading centre for the displaced people. The people were taken from the camp, marched northeastwards and then hacked to death.
"They went with many others, but we do not know the number," he said on telephone.
Major Bantariza confirmed the killings at Okwaga but put the number of the killings at 11 saying, "the information I have is that 11 people were abducted and killed by the roving rebels," he said. - Sapa-DPA
- SAPA
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