Rebels abandon talks over UPDF deployment
The LRA yesterday halted their participation in the Juba peace talks until their protest about deployment of the UPDF in southern Sudan and the DRC is resolved.
By Henry Mukasa
in Juba
The LRA yesterday halted their participation in the Juba peace talks until their protest about deployment of the UPDF in southern Sudan and the DRC is resolved.
In what was supposed to be a resumption of round three of the talks on Tuesday afternoon, the LRA team read a statement announcing their exit that commenced yesterday after the delegation presented a paper on Agenda No.2, Comprehensive solutions to causes of the war.
“The Juba peace talks are in grave threat and danger of failure due to the unfolding heavy military deployment of UPDF troops in Uganda, Southern Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo,†a statement signed by LRA delegation chairman Martin Ojul said.
“LRA/M has resolved not to proceed with the negotiations unless the following issues of grave concern are addressed. As a precondition and in order for the negotiations to resume, LRA/M demands the immediate withdrawal of UPDF troops, both those that were deployed prior to the expiry (in February 2006) of the Uganda-Sudan protocol that permitted the UPDF troops to pursue LRA in Southern Sudan, and the recent and on-going deployments in southern Sudan and the DRC,†he said.
Ojul said yesterday that they had handed the statement to Southern Sudan Vice-President Dr Riek Machar, who is the chief mediator.
In an attempt to avoid a backlash from the optimistic Ugandans and international community, the LRA said it was still committed to ending the two-decade old conflict through peaceful means.
It promised to review its position at the end of seven days, before resuming negotiations.
Yesterday the chairman of the Cessation of Hostilities Monitoring Team (CHMT), Maj. Gen. Wilson Deng, held an emergency meeting at Juba Raha Hotel in an effort to defuse the impasse and salvage the talks.
He told members to be on standby to swing into action in the field. It is likely the team will travel to Owiny-kibul first.
“We are ready to move. The meeting at 2:00pm of the VP (Machar) and the delegations will determine our movement,†Col. Nyakaitana, a UPDF representative on the monitoring team, said.
The LRA was represented by Col. Michael Anywar, Ray Achama and Maj. Dennis Okirot. Rugunda had said the talks had resumed and both sides raised issues that were referred to the CHMT. Asked for details, he said, “it’s an internal mechanism.†Deng also declined to comment and referred queries to Machar.
The LRA said its intelligence sources had confirmed that the Government had stepped up “new and heavy deployment of troops and arms in southern Sudan especially around Owiny kibul where LRA troops have assembledâ€.
They claimed a UPDF helicopter gunship was seen delivering ammunition to the newly-deployed UPDF troops. “On September 24th 2006, while passing through Koc Ongako, UPDF ferried six truck-loads of arms and ammunition into southern Sudan. Be also hereby informed of a UPDF plan to dress up in SPLA uniforms and masquerade as SPLA soldiers,†the LRA alleged.
The LRA also claimed that “in total disregard of international laws, and acting against the territorial integrity and sovereignty of DRC,†the UPDF “illegally deployed not less than 11 truck-loads of troops into the DRC in preparation for an assault on LRA forces assembled at the border of Sudan and DRC.â€
“LRA also demands that GOSS guarantees the security, safety and well-being of LRA troops on southern Sudan soil,†Ojul said.
Ojul said their suspicions were not helped by a statement by Rugunda in the media when he boasted that GOSS and government as well as UPDF and SPLA enjoy “a warm symbiotic relation.â€
Ojul said the interests of that relationship superseded the concerns for the security and safety of LRA troops on Sudan soil.
“LRA hereby implores the African Union to send two of its commanders to act as a neutral party in the composition and implementation of the CHMT as mentioned in the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement,†he stated.
The LRA paid tribute to GOSS for the role it has played in the peace process and asked for more material support such as food, clean drinking water, medicine, clothes and shelter for LRA troops assembled at Owiny Kibul and Ri-kwangba in observance of the CHA.
However, government delegation spokesman Capt. Paddy Ankunda laughed off the LRA threats saying they would come to nothing.
He said the CHMT was aware UPDF deployments have not changed since the signing of the CHA.
“We have not changed our positions. These are lame excuses by the LRA,†he said.
He said the government signed protocols for deployment of the UPDF in southern Sudan with the Sudan republic, over which the LRA has no right to comment. He said the Government was in contact with Khartoum and the regime there was aware “our troops are in their country.â€
“They can threaten to pull out but we shall not leave southern Sudan. We came for peace and we shall leave with peace,†Ankunda said.
“We are not in Congo and we do not intend to go into Congo without permission from the DRC and the UN. We will only be provoked to go to Congo if the LRA attack our citizens and this will be in self-defence,†Ankunda said.
in Juba
The LRA yesterday halted their participation in the Juba peace talks until their protest about deployment of the UPDF in southern Sudan and the DRC is resolved.
In what was supposed to be a resumption of round three of the talks on Tuesday afternoon, the LRA team read a statement announcing their exit that commenced yesterday after the delegation presented a paper on Agenda No.2, Comprehensive solutions to causes of the war.
“The Juba peace talks are in grave threat and danger of failure due to the unfolding heavy military deployment of UPDF troops in Uganda, Southern Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo,†a statement signed by LRA delegation chairman Martin Ojul said.
“LRA/M has resolved not to proceed with the negotiations unless the following issues of grave concern are addressed. As a precondition and in order for the negotiations to resume, LRA/M demands the immediate withdrawal of UPDF troops, both those that were deployed prior to the expiry (in February 2006) of the Uganda-Sudan protocol that permitted the UPDF troops to pursue LRA in Southern Sudan, and the recent and on-going deployments in southern Sudan and the DRC,†he said.
Ojul said yesterday that they had handed the statement to Southern Sudan Vice-President Dr Riek Machar, who is the chief mediator.
In an attempt to avoid a backlash from the optimistic Ugandans and international community, the LRA said it was still committed to ending the two-decade old conflict through peaceful means.
It promised to review its position at the end of seven days, before resuming negotiations.
Yesterday the chairman of the Cessation of Hostilities Monitoring Team (CHMT), Maj. Gen. Wilson Deng, held an emergency meeting at Juba Raha Hotel in an effort to defuse the impasse and salvage the talks.
He told members to be on standby to swing into action in the field. It is likely the team will travel to Owiny-kibul first.
“We are ready to move. The meeting at 2:00pm of the VP (Machar) and the delegations will determine our movement,†Col. Nyakaitana, a UPDF representative on the monitoring team, said.
The LRA was represented by Col. Michael Anywar, Ray Achama and Maj. Dennis Okirot. Rugunda had said the talks had resumed and both sides raised issues that were referred to the CHMT. Asked for details, he said, “it’s an internal mechanism.†Deng also declined to comment and referred queries to Machar.
The LRA said its intelligence sources had confirmed that the Government had stepped up “new and heavy deployment of troops and arms in southern Sudan especially around Owiny kibul where LRA troops have assembledâ€.
They claimed a UPDF helicopter gunship was seen delivering ammunition to the newly-deployed UPDF troops. “On September 24th 2006, while passing through Koc Ongako, UPDF ferried six truck-loads of arms and ammunition into southern Sudan. Be also hereby informed of a UPDF plan to dress up in SPLA uniforms and masquerade as SPLA soldiers,†the LRA alleged.
The LRA also claimed that “in total disregard of international laws, and acting against the territorial integrity and sovereignty of DRC,†the UPDF “illegally deployed not less than 11 truck-loads of troops into the DRC in preparation for an assault on LRA forces assembled at the border of Sudan and DRC.â€
“LRA also demands that GOSS guarantees the security, safety and well-being of LRA troops on southern Sudan soil,†Ojul said.
Ojul said their suspicions were not helped by a statement by Rugunda in the media when he boasted that GOSS and government as well as UPDF and SPLA enjoy “a warm symbiotic relation.â€
Ojul said the interests of that relationship superseded the concerns for the security and safety of LRA troops on Sudan soil.
“LRA hereby implores the African Union to send two of its commanders to act as a neutral party in the composition and implementation of the CHMT as mentioned in the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement,†he stated.
The LRA paid tribute to GOSS for the role it has played in the peace process and asked for more material support such as food, clean drinking water, medicine, clothes and shelter for LRA troops assembled at Owiny Kibul and Ri-kwangba in observance of the CHA.
However, government delegation spokesman Capt. Paddy Ankunda laughed off the LRA threats saying they would come to nothing.
He said the CHMT was aware UPDF deployments have not changed since the signing of the CHA.
“We have not changed our positions. These are lame excuses by the LRA,†he said.
He said the government signed protocols for deployment of the UPDF in southern Sudan with the Sudan republic, over which the LRA has no right to comment. He said the Government was in contact with Khartoum and the regime there was aware “our troops are in their country.â€
“They can threaten to pull out but we shall not leave southern Sudan. We came for peace and we shall leave with peace,†Ankunda said.
“We are not in Congo and we do not intend to go into Congo without permission from the DRC and the UN. We will only be provoked to go to Congo if the LRA attack our citizens and this will be in self-defence,†Ankunda said.