Security Council voices concern over security in Central Africa

The UN Security Council Wednesday expressed concern over "the grave security situation in parts of Central Africa".

The council also reiterated its strong condemnation of "the appalling attacks, war crimes and crimes against humanity" carried out by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), an exstrimist group, in the region, Xinhua reported citing the statement.

Long driven out of Uganda, small bands of LRA fighters now roam in forest regions of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the Central African Republic (CAR), Sudan and South Sudan, launching more than 150 attacks and killing at least 22 people this year.

More than 160,000 people have been forced to flee their homes in the DRC, CAR and South Sudan.

The insurgents, who raid villages and enslave residents, have abducted 432 people so far this year, a "steady increase" from last year and more than double the number in 2012, the report by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) read in November.

Those captured, often children, are forced to work as fighters, sex slaves or porters.