‘LRA must assemble’
THE Government has insisted that the LRA rebels must assemble at the designated sites at Owiny Ki-Bul and Ri-Kwangba as agreed upon under the truce signed in August.
By Alfred Wasike
THE Government has insisted that the LRA rebels must assemble at the designated sites at Owiny Ki-Bul and Ri-Kwangba as agreed upon under the truce signed in August.
This follows the release of a report by the Cessation of Hostilities Monitoring Team (CHMT) that revealed that only 45 rebels had assembled at Owiny Ki-Bul on September 14 and disappeared 15 days later after receiving food from the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA).
The report was released in Kampala yesterday by the state minister for defence, Ruth Nankabirwa and the UPDF spokesperson, Maj. Felix Kulayigye, at the Media Centre.
The October 6 report was signed by the CHMT leader, Maj. Gen. Wilson Deng Kuoirot, the UPDF team leader, Col. Tumusiime Nyakaitana and the LRA representative, Col. Michael Anywar Ocan.
The investigation carried out between October 1 and 4 was to verify accusations and counter-accusations by the UPDF and the LRA.
In the report, the UPDF was accused of breaching the cessation of hostilities agreement by escorting journalists and diplomats to Pajok on September 27 and 28 enroute to Owiny Ki-Bul to verify whether the LRA had assembled there or not.
The CHMT confirmed the entry into Sudan of two UPDF armoured vehicles, two Buffaloes, four pick-up trucks, a Jiefang truck and a busload of journalists and diplomats on the trip organised by the Uganda Media Centre.
Commenting on the report, Nankabirwa said,
“We are not satisfied at all. We expect the LRA to honour their side of the agreement we signed by assembling. We have written to the mediator (Lt. Gen. Riek Machar). The LRA moved away from the assembly points. They are trying to sneak back to their bosses at Garamba in DRC.â€
On the UPDF violation, Nankabirwa said, “the trip was sanctioned officially, it was innocent. It was genuine. It was meant to enable journalists and diplomats verify whether the LRA had assembled or not. It was not meant to deliberately breach the agreement.â€
The CHMT confirmed that the LRA had moved northeast of Owiny Ki-Bul, away from the designated area as the UPDF had pointed out on September 25.
The monotoring team did not visit Ri-Kwangba.
“We insist that the team also visits the other assembly point of Ri-Kwangba to verify whether the LRA have assembled there or not,†Nankabirwa stressed.
She said 400 SPLA soldiers had been deployed at Owiny Ki-Bul.
The CHMT cleared the UPDF on accusations by LRA that it had violated the pact by deploying at Ngomoromo (in Uganda), Pugee, Parajok, Palutaka, Obbo, Magwi, Pageri, Mile 75 and Liria.
It said the UPDF deployment in the above areas and at Aruu Junction and Nisitu were authorised by the Government of South Sudan and the Khartoum administration in the past protocols. The team did not visit Pageri and Liria.
CHMT dismissed LRA claims that UPDF helicopter gunships were landing in different locations inside Sudan and along the Sudan/Uganda border.
Nankabirwa said LRA attempts to cross River Nile westwards were foiled by resistance from unarmed civilians who urged the LRA to return to Owiny Ki-Bul. She did not name the location of the civilians.
On the talks in Juba, she said, “They are discussing the first draft of the comprehensive solution. We have achieved a great deal since July 14 when our team left for Juba. We have been able to prove that Kony actually exists and not a creation of the UPDF.â€
Ends
THE Government has insisted that the LRA rebels must assemble at the designated sites at Owiny Ki-Bul and Ri-Kwangba as agreed upon under the truce signed in August.
This follows the release of a report by the Cessation of Hostilities Monitoring Team (CHMT) that revealed that only 45 rebels had assembled at Owiny Ki-Bul on September 14 and disappeared 15 days later after receiving food from the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA).
The report was released in Kampala yesterday by the state minister for defence, Ruth Nankabirwa and the UPDF spokesperson, Maj. Felix Kulayigye, at the Media Centre.
The October 6 report was signed by the CHMT leader, Maj. Gen. Wilson Deng Kuoirot, the UPDF team leader, Col. Tumusiime Nyakaitana and the LRA representative, Col. Michael Anywar Ocan.
The investigation carried out between October 1 and 4 was to verify accusations and counter-accusations by the UPDF and the LRA.
In the report, the UPDF was accused of breaching the cessation of hostilities agreement by escorting journalists and diplomats to Pajok on September 27 and 28 enroute to Owiny Ki-Bul to verify whether the LRA had assembled there or not.
The CHMT confirmed the entry into Sudan of two UPDF armoured vehicles, two Buffaloes, four pick-up trucks, a Jiefang truck and a busload of journalists and diplomats on the trip organised by the Uganda Media Centre.
Commenting on the report, Nankabirwa said,
“We are not satisfied at all. We expect the LRA to honour their side of the agreement we signed by assembling. We have written to the mediator (Lt. Gen. Riek Machar). The LRA moved away from the assembly points. They are trying to sneak back to their bosses at Garamba in DRC.â€
On the UPDF violation, Nankabirwa said, “the trip was sanctioned officially, it was innocent. It was genuine. It was meant to enable journalists and diplomats verify whether the LRA had assembled or not. It was not meant to deliberately breach the agreement.â€
The CHMT confirmed that the LRA had moved northeast of Owiny Ki-Bul, away from the designated area as the UPDF had pointed out on September 25.
The monotoring team did not visit Ri-Kwangba.
“We insist that the team also visits the other assembly point of Ri-Kwangba to verify whether the LRA have assembled there or not,†Nankabirwa stressed.
She said 400 SPLA soldiers had been deployed at Owiny Ki-Bul.
The CHMT cleared the UPDF on accusations by LRA that it had violated the pact by deploying at Ngomoromo (in Uganda), Pugee, Parajok, Palutaka, Obbo, Magwi, Pageri, Mile 75 and Liria.
It said the UPDF deployment in the above areas and at Aruu Junction and Nisitu were authorised by the Government of South Sudan and the Khartoum administration in the past protocols. The team did not visit Pageri and Liria.
CHMT dismissed LRA claims that UPDF helicopter gunships were landing in different locations inside Sudan and along the Sudan/Uganda border.
Nankabirwa said LRA attempts to cross River Nile westwards were foiled by resistance from unarmed civilians who urged the LRA to return to Owiny Ki-Bul. She did not name the location of the civilians.
On the talks in Juba, she said, “They are discussing the first draft of the comprehensive solution. We have achieved a great deal since July 14 when our team left for Juba. We have been able to prove that Kony actually exists and not a creation of the UPDF.â€
Ends