LRA violence in South Sudan and DR Congo spiked last month, and also continued in the Central African Republic, as the rebel committed attacks across hundreds of miles of territory in the space of a few weeks.
In South Sudan there were at least 5 attacks LRA attacks in March - more than in any month since November of last year - and there has been at least one attack so far in April. The violence reportedly disrupted the ability of residents in Ezo county, which sits at the border with DR Congo and CAR and has been hardest hit recently, to participate in elections held this week.
The LRA also carried out 19 confirmed attacks in the DR Congo in March 2010, compared to seven in February. Our colleagues at Enough Project reported last month that these incidents included several bold attacks on Congolese military forces. LRA violence has also spilled over into this month with an attack east of Dungu town, where LRA activity has been greatly subdued in recent months, during which rebels abducted 12 youth.
Central African Republic also experienced continued violence in March. The LRA conducted at least four attacks in three towns last month, and during one attack reportedly killed 10 civilians and abducted more than 50 others. And as I wrote in a post last week, many LRA attacks in CAR go unreported.
This trend of escalated violence indicates that the rebel group's capacity to wreak havoc simultaneously across hundreds of miles of territory remains intact despite attempts by regional governments to downplay the threat it poses to civilians in affected areas.