VOA标准英语2013--LRA Has Safe Havens in Sudan, Rights Group Says

 

LRA Has Safe Havens² in Sudan, Rights Group Says

Facing an international arrest warrant for war crimes in East Africa, Lord's Resistance Army commander Joseph Kony is on the run. Human rights groups believe he has found refuge in Sudan.

"We have uncovered that the LRA has been setting up bases, or had set up bases, in an area that was defacto controlled by Sudan over the last couple of years," said Sasha Lezhnev, who is an analyst³ with the Enough Project.  

Satellite images

Commercial satellite images released by the Enough Project show what the group says is a camp used by the LRA as recently as February.

"The United States is aware and continues to evaluate reports that the LRA has operated in the disputed Kafia Kingi area claimed by both Sudan and South Sudan. The U.S. and the international community as a whole would take very seriously any credible⁴ evidence of support or safe haven¹ being provided to the LRA," said Patrick Ventrell, a State Department spokesman.

Off-camera, U.S. officials say they do not have sufficient evidence that Sudan has resumed significant support for the LRA. Lezhnev said Sudan is giving the LRA time and space to regroup.

"Providing a safe harbor is significant and it's worrying in so far that the LRA has new safe-haven areas," said Lezhnev.

Especially for such a mobile force, said Jennifer Cooke at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

"The LRA has been very nimble in moving across borders to escape scrutiny⁵. And with everything that is going on between the north and south within Sudan, what's happening in the southern part of Sudan itself, I think there is not a whole lot of attention focused on tracking down the LRA in Sudan," said Cooke.

Seeking help

Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir said he is not backing the LRA. At a time when he is looking to improve Sudan's standing⁶, giving up the LRA could make sense.

"It would be a sign of good faith. And it is not clear what interest Sudan right now would have in harboring the LRA. They've got bigger issues," said Cooke.

Such as fully⁷ restoring oil exports, in which China played a leading roll. Lezhnev said Beijing could help with the LRA as well.

"Some creative pressure, including pressure from the United States, has helped achieve some results with Sudan. Having China weigh in to a stronger degree than they had before has also helped," said Lezhnev.

But Sarah Margon at Human Rights Watch says China has no direct interest in the LRA.

"In the case of the LRA and in the case of Joseph Kony, this is really a civilian-protection mission for the US. There's frankly⁸ not a lot else in it for the United States right now. So getting China to engage on and support American interests in the counter-LRA mission is a tough one," said Margon.

Lezhnev said LRA's safe-haven in Sudan will continue to be a "concrete danger" until there is a change in Khartoum. 

1 haven   

n.安全的地方，避难所，庇护所

参考例句：

• It's a real haven at the end of a busy working day.忙碌了一整天后，这真是一个安乐窝。
• The school library is a little haven of peace and quiet.学校的图书馆是一个和平且安静的小避风港。

2 havens   

n.港口，安全地方( haven的名词复数 )v.港口，安全地方( haven的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Your twenty havens would back out at the last minute anyhow. 你那二十个避难所到了最后一分钟也要不认帐。 来自辞典例句
• Using offshore havens to avoid taxes and investor protections. 使用海面的港口避免税和投资者保护。 来自互联网

3 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

4 credible   

adj.可信任的，可靠的

参考例句：

• The news report is hardly credible.这则新闻报道令人难以置信。
• Is there a credible alternative to the nuclear deterrent?是否有可以取代核威慑力量的可靠办法？

5 scrutiny   

n.详细检查，仔细观察

参考例句：

• His work looks all right,but it will not bear scrutiny.他的工作似乎很好，但是经不起仔细检查。
• Few wives in their forties can weather such a scrutiny.很少年过四十的妻子经得起这么仔细的观察。

6 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

7 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

8 frankly   

adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说

参考例句：

• To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说，我一点也不赞成这个主意。
• Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。