A group of LRA rebels have been accused of raiding two villages in western Equatoria province, killing four people, abducting 12 others and looting livestock. The group was reportedly heading to Garamba National Park in the DR Congo. Lt. Chris Magezi said they had also received credible information that some pockets of LRA rebels were still roaming in eastern Equatoria under the command of two or three captains, terrorising the local population. "All these are serious violations of the cessation of the hostilities agreement and go against the spirit of the Juba peace talks," he said. LRA deputy commander Vincent Otti denied the allegations. The latest deadline for the LRA fighters to assemble in Ri-Kwangba expired on May 26. Read more at The New Vision.

The Monitor has published an article about life "inside the LRA camp in Congo," which provides insight into the dynamics of the rebel army. About young LRA soldiers, the article writes, "Packets of chewing gum slide into a back pocket. Cigarettes are strictly forbidden. Alcohol is evil. Conversation is careful. But at heart they are teenagers - they want to know about cars, girls, clothes and the world beyond their reach." The article continues, "Joseph Kony - still clearly revered by his followers as the spiritual head of the LRA - fiddles nervously in the meetings, clasping a small black diary like a prayer book, as he listens to international delegates discussing charges laid against him by the International Criminal Court." The article suggests that Kony's deputy Vincent Otti is the daily coordinator of the LRA, but Kony still is the driving force. Read more at The Monitor.

The UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) has reported that a group of LRA rebels recently abducted four civilians at a village in Central Equatoria state in southern Sudan. UNMIS said it learned of the recent abductions from the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA). A team of negotiators led by the Southern Sudanese Information Minister and an LRA Brigadier-General went to the area around Dimo, the village where the abductions occurred, on Saturday, to try to negotiate the release of the civilians. Read more at The Sudan Tribune.

The Ugandan Ministry of Defense has rejected a report by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, which claimed that the insecurity in the northeast Karamoja region had worsened between November 2006 and March 2007. The report, released last month, stated that at least 126 people and nine UPDF soldiers died in clashes between the UPDF and Karimojong warriors during February 2007. Defense minister, Dr. Crispus Kiyonga, called the allegations misleading and inaccurate. "The evidence we have from our interaction with the political leaders in the area is that there were significant improvements in that period," he said. Kiyonga also rejected the UN’s demand that the Government suspends forced disarmament until adequate measures are put in place to ensure the security of the civilian population. Read more at The New Vision.

The Ugandan military accused LRA fighters on Tuesday of staging a deadly ambush in Uganda, killing seven civilians and jeopardising the Cessation of Hostilities (CoH). Army spokesman for northern Uganda Chris Magezi said the rebels attacked three trucks on their way to southern Sudan on Monday night. "We recovered the bodies this morning," he claimed. "They were stripped naked then beaten to death. The rebels also burned the trucks and looted their merchandise." Magezi said anecdotal evidence from survivors of the attack pointed to the LRA. The LRA was unavailable for comment. Lingering mistrust and lacking transparency has deeply undermined the CoH. Read more at Reuters AlertNet.