At least 192 people killed in Northern Uganda attack

Globe and Mail / AP ^ | 2/22/044

[Valin]

Kampala, Uganda — Rebels attacked a refugee camp in northern Uganda, torching homes and gunning people down as they fled, a priest and a legislator said Sunday. At least 192 people were killed, some perishing in the flames of their own homes.
The rebels with the Lord's Resistance Army raided the Barloonyo camp late Saturday, burning huts and firing on people with assault rifles and mortars, said the Rev. Sebhat Ayele, who visited the camp Sunday.
"I saw one hut with seven family members still burning and three (people) in the next hut were also still burning," Ayele, said by telephone from the nearby town of Lira, 155 miles north of Kampala.
Local lawmaker Charles Anjiro said he and the district police commander counted 192 bodies Sunday morning.
"The scene is terrible, it's the worst situation I've ever seen in my life," Mr. Anjiro said.
Army spokesman Maj. Shaban Bantariza confirmed the attack, but could not verify the death toll. He said the camp was home to about 5,000 people.

It was not possible to contact the Lord's Resistance Army, a shadowy group that has been fighting President Yoweri Museveni since he came to power in 1986. It rarely makes contact with the outside world.
After the Sept. 11 attack, President Bush put the group on a list of organizations suspected to have links to terrorism.
The camp was guarded by members of a local defense force but they were outnumbered and outgunned, Mr. Bantariza said.
"Instead of running away they (some of the people in the camp) entered their huts and the rebels burnt them alive," Mr. Bantariza said.

An army spokesman, 2nd Lt. Chris Magezi, said government forces were pursuing the rebels.
The rebels are led by Joseph Kony, who claims to have spiritual powers. They have terrorized towns across northern and northeastern Uganda, forcing an estimated 1 million people to flee. The group replenishes its ranks with children it abducts to use as fighters, porters or concubines.

[b4its2late]

Is Uganda another Clinton Legacy builder?

[Valin]

I try to stay optimistic, but when you're looking at Africa it's hard.

[archy]

"and Idi Amin is still dead."

Nope, he's living a life of luxury in Saudi Arabia.

If you didn't get a return Christmas card from him don't sweat it, he's not upset with you. According to the BBC, 'E's bleedin' demised! 'E's not pinin'! 'E's passed on! This poli is no more! He has ceased to be! 'E's expired and gone to meet 'is maker! 'E's a stiff! Bereft of life, 'e rests in peace! 'e's pushing up the daisies! 'Is metabolic processes are now 'istory! 'E's off the twig! 'E's kicked the bucket, 'e's shuffled off 'is mortal coil, run down the curtain and joined the bleedin' choir invisibile!! THIS IS AN EX-IDI AMIN!!!

[archy]

Is Uganda another Clinton Legacy builder?

Not really. Jimmy Carter and Andrew Young get the credit for this one.

Question: How can you tell Idi Amin from John Kerry?

Answer: Idi Amin had more medals....

[Destro]

Lord's Resistance Army follow a home grown religion with Christian elements. They have more in common with the old Chinese Taipings I reckon.

[Cronos]

I drew the conclusion a while ago that Africa is just a lost cause. They're rapidly sliding back to the state they were in before colonization, and perhaps that's just the natural order of things.

I dunno. Most of the tribes that were conquered by the Euros in sub-saharan Africa in the 1800s were at the same level of civilisation as the Germanics and Slavics and Celtics had been, in varying levels, up to 800 AD, so, if civilisation could work on those, why not on these?

Africa's problems are also because of the Aid we give them which goes straight ot the pockets of the big man. It's other problem is that it's nations are still drawn according to colonial borders which cut across tribal lines leading to situations akin to the Poles being divided by Prussia, Russia and Austria or the Kurds being divided by Turkey Iraq and Iran.

[Prodigal Son]

It is, after all, our justification for the deaths of 500 and growing US Citizens in Iraq.

This, of course, assumes that the Iraq war started last year and not over 12 years ago. Had we tried to finish the war in 1991, our casualties would've been significantly higher.

[Cronos]

To add some coherence:

1. Stop Sending economic Aid to govt. -- it only goes into the hands of the big man there.
2. Economic Aid in the form of building schools etc. WITH WESTERN companies can be done but the co.'s will be paid in New York and they will send in men to build schools, roads etc.
3. If a country requires food aid, that's a failure of the government, kick out that govt. and put the UN in charge.
4. Kick the French out of West Africa -- they still rob those countries blind.
5. Make the Belgians pay for the mess they made in the Congo.
6. Tear up the old map of Africa and make it into countries with tribes in single lands -- I don't know what can be done for the nomadic tribes like the Masai  --perhaps it would be best to have super states like All of sub saharan West Africa, all of sub-saharan East Africa south of the Horm of Africa and South Africa from Zimbabwe-Angloa south wards.  This way the nomads could still roam free.  The govt would have to be federal.  The lingua franca would be English in the East and South and French in the West.

[Wumpus Hunter]

"Sounds like these folks are ripe for Muslim conversion."

Sounds to me like they've ALREADY converted.