Kony still in hideout
Sep 18, 2006
THE two topmost LRA chiefs Joseph Kony and his deputy Vincent Otti had not arrived at the Ri-Kwangba, the assembly point for the fighters coming out of Garamba National Park in DR Congo by midday yesterday.
By Milton Olupot
THE two topmost LRA chiefs Joseph Kony and his deputy Vincent Otti had not arrived at the Ri-Kwangba, the assembly point for the fighters coming out of Garamba National Park in DR Congo by midday yesterday.
Defence state minister Ruth Nankabirwa yesterday said the duo had not arrived at Ri-Kwangba. “Three weeks are expiring tomorrow and everybody is anxious to know whether the LRA leaders have arrived at Ri-Kwangba. They have not yet arrived,†she said.
Speaking at the Media Centre in Kampala, Nankabirwa also disputed the number of rebels assembled at the two points, saying only the Cessation of Hostilities Monitoring Team (CHMT) was competent to give the right figures.
Journalists had asked whether Kony and Otti had arrived at the assembly points.
The three-week deadline for the rebels to move to the centres expires today.
Fighters who were operating in Uganda are assembling at Owiny Ki-Bul.
Prime Minister Prof. Apolo Nsibambi, public service minister Henry Kajura and Senior Presidential Adviser John Nagenda were at the press conference.
The New Vision, quoting the SPLA soldiers guarding the assembly points, yesterday reported that 1,604 LRA rebels had reported, 800 of them in Ri-Kwangba and 804 in Owing Ki-Bul by Sunday.
Nankabirwa, however, said, “The figures are not correct. It is only the CHMT that can ascertain the number.
“There is a possibility of inflating the numbers like in the Bamuze group, now we have put in place mechanisms to check this.â€
A UN news agency, IRIN, yesterday reported that the LRA rebel chief, Joseph Kony, had joined Otti at the Ri-Kwangba camp yesterday.
IRIN quoted Martin Ojul, the main rebel negotiator, as saying the LRA supremo had arrived at the area designated under the truce.
Gulu Resident District Commissioner Col. Walter Ochora, who has been coordinating the movement of the rebels from northern Uganda to Owing Ki-Bul, would not confirm whether Kony had arrived, but said most of the rebels who were supposed to assemble at Owiny Ki-Bul had done so.
Kony and Otti, indicted by the International Criminal Court, have demanded that the tribunal drops the charges against them before the talks can proceed.
Nsibambi yesterday said he had spoken to Otti on phone while on a tour of northern Uganda.
“I appealed to him to ensure that the peace talks succeed,†he said.
The ICC insists that Kony and his top commanders must face trial for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
THE two topmost LRA chiefs Joseph Kony and his deputy Vincent Otti had not arrived at the Ri-Kwangba, the assembly point for the fighters coming out of Garamba National Park in DR Congo by midday yesterday.
Defence state minister Ruth Nankabirwa yesterday said the duo had not arrived at Ri-Kwangba. “Three weeks are expiring tomorrow and everybody is anxious to know whether the LRA leaders have arrived at Ri-Kwangba. They have not yet arrived,†she said.
Speaking at the Media Centre in Kampala, Nankabirwa also disputed the number of rebels assembled at the two points, saying only the Cessation of Hostilities Monitoring Team (CHMT) was competent to give the right figures.
Journalists had asked whether Kony and Otti had arrived at the assembly points.
The three-week deadline for the rebels to move to the centres expires today.
Fighters who were operating in Uganda are assembling at Owiny Ki-Bul.
Prime Minister Prof. Apolo Nsibambi, public service minister Henry Kajura and Senior Presidential Adviser John Nagenda were at the press conference.
The New Vision, quoting the SPLA soldiers guarding the assembly points, yesterday reported that 1,604 LRA rebels had reported, 800 of them in Ri-Kwangba and 804 in Owing Ki-Bul by Sunday.
Nankabirwa, however, said, “The figures are not correct. It is only the CHMT that can ascertain the number.
“There is a possibility of inflating the numbers like in the Bamuze group, now we have put in place mechanisms to check this.â€
A UN news agency, IRIN, yesterday reported that the LRA rebel chief, Joseph Kony, had joined Otti at the Ri-Kwangba camp yesterday.
IRIN quoted Martin Ojul, the main rebel negotiator, as saying the LRA supremo had arrived at the area designated under the truce.
Gulu Resident District Commissioner Col. Walter Ochora, who has been coordinating the movement of the rebels from northern Uganda to Owing Ki-Bul, would not confirm whether Kony had arrived, but said most of the rebels who were supposed to assemble at Owiny Ki-Bul had done so.
Kony and Otti, indicted by the International Criminal Court, have demanded that the tribunal drops the charges against them before the talks can proceed.
Nsibambi yesterday said he had spoken to Otti on phone while on a tour of northern Uganda.
“I appealed to him to ensure that the peace talks succeed,†he said.
The ICC insists that Kony and his top commanders must face trial for war crimes and crimes against humanity.