Refugee International urges UN to expand southern Sudan mandate to end rebel LRA

Washington-based Refugee International (RI) said the LRA attacks on civilians in southern Sudan are impeding humanitarian access, slowing the ability of refugees and displaced people to return home, and causing new displacement and refugee outflows, Xinhua/ST reported May 18. 2006. Excerpt:

"The UN Security Council should strengthen UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS)'s mandate to allow it to disarm LRA combatants and cooperate with the Ugandan Amnesty Commission to repatriate them to Uganda, execute International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrants for the LRA top commanders and protect civilians in south Sudan," the aid agency said.

"The UNMIS must be given a stronger mandate, more resources, and higher troop levels to protect civilians proactively," the RI said.

"We request donors, particularly the United Kingdom and the United States, to allocate adequate resources to UNMIS for these new responsibilities," the RI added.

The agency's statement comes a day after Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni offered another chance to the elusive leader of the LRA rebels to end the two decade old war.