NEWS RELEASES
February 23, 2004 (4:00 p.m. EST) No. 27
GRAHAM CONDEMNS MASSACRE OF CIVILIANS IN UGANDA
Foreign Affairs Minister Bill Graham today expressed dismay at the massacre of nearly
200 civilians by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) during an attack on the Barlonyo
internally displaced persons camp near the city of Lira in northern Uganda on
February 21, 2004.
"Canada strongly condemns this deplorable attack against civilian men, women and
children," said Minister Graham. "This horror only compounds the misery of those who
have been driven from their homes in the course of the conflict."
The Barlonyo attack, one of the worst in the last 10 years, is the latest incident in the
18-year-long insurgency in northern Uganda. The ongoing campaign of terror has
displaced 1.4 million people, and the LRA has abducted more than 20,000 children to
serve as soldiers and sex slaves.
Minister Graham urged the Government of Uganda and the LRA to end the conflict
without causing further suffering to the civilian population. He indicated that Canada
and the international community are prepared to work with the government to explore
ways of protecting internally displaced persons, whose camps are particularly
vulnerable in this brutal conflict. He also urged all parties to the conflict to fully respect
international humanitarian and human rights law.
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For further information, media representatives may contact:
Isabelle Savard
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs
(613) 995-1851
Media Relations Office
Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
(613) 995-1874
http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca
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