Civil war years Ikotos County

mount kinyeti in imatong mountains, highest peak in south sudan. mountains haven lord s resistance army.

the security problem compounded presence of ugandan rebel group, lord s resistance army (lra), notorious killing, looting food, destroying property , abducting women , children. in 1986 government of sudan had started provide arms, training , sanctuary lra, began raid , plunder villages along sudan – uganda border. in february 1993 major shipment of arms arrived in kitgum, uganda, transit spla in ikotos. in return, spla began uganda in ineffectual attempts suppress lra.

over 400 people massacred lra in imotong area in west of ikotos county in march 2002. faced threat, people refused hand on guns, needed self-defense. in may 2002 area around ikotos no-go zone aid workers. steep, gully-filled , densely forested mountains provided natural haven remnants of lra. after lra clashed uganda people s defence force in october 2002, uganda closed road being used aid workers carry supplies kitgum ikotos.

in may 2003 imatong , ikotos districts, in torit county, reported 178 suspected cases of yellow fever , 27 deaths.

on positive note, during period norwegian church aid made significant contribution ikotos county education centre, trained 120 teachers in 2004 , 2005.