Museveni Writes To Kony

Aug 13, 2002

PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni has written to Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) leader Joseph Kony (pictured above) setting out terms for peace talks.

By Vision Reporter PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni has written to Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) leader Joseph Kony (pictured above) setting out terms for peace talks.The letter, written on July 20, 2002, was in response to peace moves initiated by the Acholi Religious Leaders Peace Initiative (ARLPI) with a team of LRA commanders. The two sides met on July 17 at Koyo Lalogi in Pader district.Museveni said while he did not agree with any of Kony’s claims, like fighting for “peace and recognition of the people of the north as true Ugandans”, and in spite of what he called the terrorism that Kony was covering up, he would consider talks on three accounts (see page 3).Museveni states the accounts as: pressure from some sections of the Ugandan population; the initial luring of Kony into fighting by treacherous politicians; and the prolonged suffering of the people of Acholi and northern Uganda.Museveni said he would observe a temporary ceasefire if the LRA stopped all attacks on civilians, soldiers and transport means; if it ceased kidnapping and if it confined itself to three camps in southern Sudan.Kony has not responded.The director of information at the Movement Secretariat, Ofwono Opondo, said yesterday no response had yet been received to the letter that was dispatched on July 21.“From his (Kony’s) behaviour, it appears that he does not want talks. His response has been more attacks,” he said.On July 24, the rebels attacked the village of Muchwini in Kitgum, killing 48 people including infants. On August 5, a rebel raid on a UN refugee camp at Achol-pii in Pader, left 58 dead, and 25,000 refugees fleeing.Archbishop John Baptist Odama, of the Catholic archdiocese of Gulu led the mediation team to the July 17 Koyo Lalogi talks (see page 3).It included Fr Tarcisio Pazzaglia of Kitgum Mission, Rwot Joseph Oywak Ywakamoi, Fr Carlos Rodriguez of Gulu Archdiocese, and a contact person, Dominique Okot.Odama led a team that included the retired Church of Uganda bishop of Kitgum, MacLeod Baker Ochola, in reporting back to Museveni on July 20.The LRA team was composed of Lt Col Charles Tabuley, Lt Col Livingstone Opito, and Maj Dominic Ongwen.Ends

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});