Contact:

Paul Ronan Director of Advocacy Direct #: 202-706-6183 Office #: 202-596-2517 Fax #: 202-403-2344 Email: paul@theresolve.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Community self-defense groups rescue seven abductees since May

LRA attacks destabilizing Southern Sudan ahead of independence

(5 July, 2011)Kampala, Uganda Attacks against civilians by Lords Resistance Army (LRA) rebels are destabilizing Southern Sudans Western Equatoria State as the region heads for independence on July 9, said human rights group Resolve today. A twoweek research mission to Western Equatoria by Resolve in June found regional governments not up to the task of protecting civilians from LRA violence and assisting displaced communities. Local leaders in Western Equatoria have responded proactively, with Arrow Boy community self-defense groups rescuing at least seven people abducted by the LRA since May. Arrow Boy groups are also working with traditional authorities to patrol abandoned rural areas to allow displaced persons to resume farming. But LRA fighters launch raids from neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo (Congo) and Central African Republic (CAR), highlighting the need for greater regional and international efforts to protect civilians, apprehend LRA leaders, and demobilize remaining fighters. LRA raids on rural villages in Western Equatoria means nearly 100,000 Southern Sudanese will have to celebrate independence displaced from their homes, said Michael Poffenberger, Executive Director of Resolve. The new Southern Sudanese government and military must do a better job at protecting civilians from the LRA or risk alienating the people of Western Equatoria post-independence, added Poffenberger. Southern Sudanese military (SPLA) and UN peacekeeping (UNMIS) forces deployed to Western Equatoria lack the resources and motivation to do more than deter LRA attacks on major population centers, while Ugandan military (UPDF) forces have become less responsive to LRA incursions there. Widespread suspicion that some Ugandan personnel are exploiting timber in the region and profiting from their deployments has further strained the UPDFs relationship with local communities. In the absence of adequate protection, tens of thousands of civilians have fled to town centers for safety. However, humanitarian access and aid to displaced persons remains inadequate, forcing some people to return to rural villages despite the risk of LRA attacks. Decreased food production in Western Equatoria, a regional breadbasket, also contributes to food insecurity across Southern Sudan. Too many people in Western Equatoria are faced with the impossible choice of going hungry in town centers or risking LRA attacks in rural fields, said Paul Ronan, Director of Advocacy at Resolve, who conducted the research. Displacement in Western Equatoria also has a ripple effect, creating more empty stomachs across Southern Sudan. Local communities are proactively responding to the lack of regional and international responses, most notably in the form of Arrow Boy, or Home Guard, community self-defense groups. Arrow Boys groups have widespread support among traditional, religious, and local government authorities, who credit them with most effectively protecting people from LRA attacks. They are often the first and only responders to LRA incursions, and have rescued seven abductees from LRA fighters in two separate incidents in May and June of this year. Arrow Boys groups are also working with traditional authorities of the Zande people, prevalent in the affected region, to patrol depopulated rural areas and set up safe centers where displaced persons can resume cultivation. These initiatives are often a direct response to inadequate humanitarian assistance available in major towns.

However, such initiatives cannot address the fundamental problem that LRA fighters have safe havens in neighboring Congo and CAR, where they commit attacks and also launch raids into Western Equatoria. Community leaders and Arrow Boys groups are taking the lead in responding to the LRA threat in Western Equatoria, said Ronan. Donors and humanitarian agencies should urgently repair roads and expand mobile phone and radio coverage to facilitate community driven early warning and response mechanisms. But without greater action by the international community to apprehend senior LRA commanders and demobilize LRA fighters in Congo and CAR, the people of Western Equatoria will not experience the peace they hoped would accompany the birth of the Republic of South Sudan, added Ronan.

Resolve 236 Massachusetts Ave. NE Suite 500 Washington, DC 20002 Phone: (202) 596-2517 Fax: (202) 403-2344 www.theresolve.org

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We are advocates, resolved to see an end to Africas longest-running war. Resolve works with activists, policy experts, and civil society leaders to identify and build support for policy measures that can help end LRA atrocities and enable affected families and communities to survive and rebuild their lives.