EALA MPs WANT EAC STATES TO GET RID OF REBELS FROM EASTERN CONGO

BY GRACE MACHA IN ARUSHA

Members of the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) want the regional governments to get rid of all rebels from eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

This follows a recent massacre of 43 people - mostly school children - in a school in Kasese area, western Uganda blamed on Allied Democratic Forces (ADF).

Last week, the House interrupted its budget sitting which has been going on here to condemn the brutal attack which has shocked the region.

EALA said it supports on-going initiatives of the regional leaders geared towards the pacification of eastern Congo, where ADF is believed to be based.

Such efforts, they insisted, should now be geared to get rid of all rebel groups "and their activities in that part of the country".

The Motion, tabled by Ms Jacquiline Amongin, an EALA MP from Uganda, 

Seconded by  Dr. Woda Jeremiah Odok, a lawmaker from South Sudan.

It said attacks by ADF, a terror outfit affiliated to ISIS, has led to more than 849 deaths of civilians in recent months in eastern DRC and Uganda.

These include an attack in North Kivu in January this year during which over 17 church goers were killed in Kasindi, North Kivu.

Recent attack at Lhubirira secondary school in Kasese area in Uganda claimed 43 lives, 37 of whom were school children.

ADF massacres, however, date back to the 1990s when its fighters killed 80 students at Kichwamba Technical School, also in western Uganda.

EALA MPs insisted that the rebel group should not be allowed to wreak havoc on unarmed civilians with impunity.

They have shown a complete disregard for the lives of civilians and the laws of war "which are designed to protect civilian populations in armed conflicts".

Contributing to the debate on the Motion, an EALA MP from Kenya  Ms Zipporah Jesang Kurgat said she was much worried by continued attack by the rebel group.

She regretted that wanton attacks on civilian populations that have been going on in western Uganda by the ADF outfit originated from the East African (EAC) partner state.

Mary Mugyenyi from Uganda said it was obvious that armed raids into her country's soil was a spill over of simmering bloody conflict in eastern DRC.

Mr. Gideon Gatpan Thoar from South Sudan said the killing of students was a barbaric action not only in Uganda but has ripple effects in the entire region.

He added that attacks by the ADF have greatly disrupted promising economic activities "through invoking a sense of fear in the affected communities".

The South Sudan lawmaker implored the EA leaders to take joint efforts to get rid of dozens of rebel groups operating in the eastern DRC.