AFRICA/CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC - Two French aid workers kidnapped and later released by LRA guerrillas who attacked a Catholic Church; local inhabitants being held hostage

Bangui (Agenzia Fides) – The Ugandan rebels of the LRA (Lord's Resistance Army) attacked the village of Rafai, in the southeastern Central African Republic, on February 18. "The information we have is still sketchy as the area is far from the capital and is very isolated and difficult to reach," local Church sources from Bangui, the capital of Central Africa, tell Fides. The town's most important area is Bangassou, which is located 150 kilometers west of Rafa.
"The rebels attacked the local Catholic church and kidnapped several people. No one knows their number. Some say 10-12, while others claim that the hostages could be 40. Two French aid workers were kidnapped, but were released hours later. They are now in Bangassou," Fides sources said.
"The pastor and the rest of the religious personnel were in Bangui for a meeting. The pastor is on his way to Rafai. When he arrives, he will be be able to assess the damage and see how many people have been kidnapped.”
Rafai is in a sparsely populated area that is densely forested. It is therefore ideal for hiding the LRA fighters who move about Central Africa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and southern Sudan, robbing the isolated villages, whose population is forcibly recruited into the ranks of the guerrillas. The Ugandan Army, with the consent of local authorities, has sent a military contingent into Central Africa to hunt down the Lord's Army and its elusive leader, Joseph Kony.
Recently, the religious leaders of the countries affected by the incursions of the LRA (Uganda, DRC, Central and South Sudan) have formed a regional committee for formulating proposals for negotiations with the guerrilla group (see Fides 5/2/2010). (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 22/2/2010)