By Henry Mukasa in Garamba

THE LRA leader Joseph Kony has praised President Yoweri Museveni as a good man.

During a confidence-building meeting with a team from northern Uganda, Kony said the Juba talks had exposed Museveni’s good side.

“Museveni is a good man. Even those who used to criticise him blindly now know Museveni is a good man,” Kony said.

He was yesterday meeting Gulu district chairman Nobert Mao, RDC Walter Ochola and Kampala-based lawyer Owiny Dollo at his base in Garamba National Park in DR Congo on a confidence-building mission financed by the Government.

The trio, who arrived in garamba on Tuesday, are scheduled to return to Uganda tomorrow.
In a jovial mood, Kony, dressed in military fatigues, said he was touched that Museveni agreed to facilitate the travel of Acholi leaders, his wife and relatives to Garamba.

“If Museveni was a bad person, he would come out with a list….. ‘we need the following to go’. He would have censured the list. He has facilitated rather than obstruct,” Kony said.
He denied that he called lawyers for advice as reported in the press.

He said he wanted to expose their (trio) role in the peace talks.

Kony criticised Dollo for “taking long to visit” and praised Ochola for being the first visitor. “I hear there are many highly educated Acholi, where are they?” Kony (right) asked.

He said Dollo had talent “just like the Chinese who do not speak English but are developed”.
Kony reiterated that he was interested in peace.

“I’m a hundred percent for peace. If the peace talks fail, the world has to know that it is not me. I’m steadily for peace. We propose that for confidence-building, eminent persons like religious persons from the north would come with the LRA fighters to the assembly areas,” he said
The Ceassasion of Hostilities Agreement bars visitors to the assembly areas but gives mediators and the monitoring team powers to authorise visits.

Kony’s deputy Vincent Otti described Museveni’s order to the UPDF to withdraw from some areas in South Sudan as a “good step”. But he said the army should withdraw further to the east of the Nimule-Juba road.

He said the LRA fighters moved out of northern Uganda to southern Sudan so that they are no longer accused of ambushes and abductions.

“Immediately our people arrived at Owiny Kibul, the UPDF flocked there. If the Government of Uganda is genuinely for peace, the UPDF should go and stay at the border.

“If they think that our people want to cross and join us, they should move to the western side of the road,” Otti said.
The traditional leader of the Puranga clan to which Kony belongs, Rwot Jimmy Ocan, is on the team.

Others on the 15-member team include relatives of Kony and Otti.
Ends