By Henry Mukasa
in Juba

DETAILS emerging from the unprecedented meeting between President Yoweri Museveni and the Lord's Resistance Army rebels delegation in Juba, Sudan indicate that the president returned home with the olive branch he had carried for the rebels.

While the LRA envoys are jubilating for attempting to “embarrass the president” by refusing his handshake, the government team is seething with anger that the rebels squandered an opportunity to expedite the three-month-long peace talks.

The deputy leader of the government delegation and international relations minister, Henry Okello Oryem, regretted the “misconduct” of the LRA towards the head of state.

“When in the private meeting, the president went out to extend his hand to greet members of the LRA individually and know them individually. Ayoo stood up and walked away mumbling something under his breath.

“Apire refused to shake the president’s hand despite his extending it for over a minute.
Owiny also didn’t shake the president’s hand yet the president wanted to have dialogue with them, meeting for the first time. The handshake, an opportunity of having a face-to-face talk with the president, was lost,” Oryem said.

Museveni was in Juba on Saturday at the invitation of the Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS). He met President Salva Kiir and his deputy Dr. Riek Machar, the chief mediator of the peace talks.

Museveni also met the Speaker of parliament, James Wani Igga and the Sudan Peoples’ Liberation Movement secretary general and the GoSS council of ministers before addressing the South Sudan assembly.

Sources said during the meeting with the LRA, Museveni thanked the rebels for participating in the peace talks but urged them to ensure a speedy conclusion to the process.

Museveni told the LRA envoys that although he had lost interest in peace talks, Kiir, while attending his inauguration in Kampala in May, urged him to give the peaceful solution another shot.

“I now fully support and back the peace process,” Museveni reportedly said. He was quoted as expressing support to GoSS for brokering the peace process.

After a brief speech, Museveni reportedly asked his hosts, “Let me go and greet them (LRA)” and approached the LRA.

Acting LRA delegation spokesman Godfrey Ayoo ducked, while his deputy Josephine Apire refused to shake Museveni’s hand, though they exchanged some words.

Sources said Machar summoned the LRA after Museveni’s departure for a meeting that went on up to midnight and castigated them for their indiscretion.

Ayoo claimed Museveni accused them of being detached and was bitter he was not given a chance to respond to the claim.

“We didn’t present what we had to tell him. He (Museveni) told her (Apire), ‘you don’t want to greet me?’ She said, ‘first apologise for killing my people’. He said ‘rubbish’,” Ayoo narrated.
“As a group, we don’t regret what we did,” Ayoo added.