The Incident: August 5, LRA forces attacked Zangabai, DRC around 5:30 in the evening. They looted several homes, taking food, clothing and other items. They also abducted 12 civilians from the community – 6 men, 5 women, and an 11-year-old girl.
This group was used as porters and trackers, forced to crush rice paddy and husk peanuts all night. At dawn the following morning, 10 of the victims were released. Two days later, the assailants liberated the two remaining men and reportedly planned to attack Zangabai, DRC.
Reports say these LRA forces were armed, wore civilian clothes and spoke Acholi (a northern Ugandan language characteristic of the LRA) and some Lingala (spoken in CAR, DRC, and Congo). Some fighters reportedly said they were tired of living in the bush after long years of captivity.
Analysis: This is the third time the LRA has looted Zangabai this year, and it’s the second incident of abduction. The community population says that LRA forces frequently come this direction.
This situation exemplifies recent LRA tactics of looting communities and committing short-term abductions. Their intent is survival, and they often loot food, weapons and other resources to sustain themselves. Trends show that abductees are more likely to serve as short-term porters for looted goods, rather than as long-term fighters to rebuild their fighting capacity. However, incidents like these are still incredibly damaging, both psychologically and physically.
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