THE Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) have again demanded the withdrawal of the Ugandan army from southern Sudan.
In a letter to the chief mediator, Riek Machar, copied to UN envoy Joachim Chissano, the rebels said they backed the call made by Machar last month for the UPDF to leave Sudanese territory.
“The LRA wants a clear and collective commitment from GOSS (Government of Southern Sudan) about UPDF withdrawal,” said the July 25 letter signed by David Matsanga, the leader of the LRA peace delegation.
South Sudan President Salva Kiir last week told The New Vision that he had no problem with the Ugandans being in their territory.
“When we took the administration of the South and found the UPDF, we did not expel them because we respected the agreement which they reached with the Sudan government,” he said.
“This is the position we maintain to date. We did not have any problems with the UPDF.”
Matsanga’s letter also said LRA leader Joseph Kony would not attend today’s meeting because the Juba talks secretariat had failed to meet his demands.
“The LRA High Command yesterday directed me to point out to the world that without food supplies to the assembly area, the meeting in Ri-Kwangba on July 30 and 31 will not take place,” he stated.
He said the South Sudan government had mobilised some food but it was rejected because “the LRA security representative was not told of the quantity and origin of the food, which made it suspect.”
Matsanga noted that they would only accept food from Caritas, an international NGO closely linked to the Catholic Church.
“Urgent food supplies needed must be supplied by Caritas, a Ugandan-based NGO that was mandated and accepted by the LRA.”
Besides food, the rebels also demand water and medicines.
Matsanga also urged international donors to continue funding the Juba secretariat, warning that failure to do so would jeopardise the peace process.
