Kony must go to safe zone - Govt
Aug 27, 2006
THE cessation of hostilities agreement signed by the Government and the LRA on Saturday, compels the indicted rebel supremo, Joseph Kony and his three deputies to assemble in the designated areas with their forces, the Government’s peace talks team leader, Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda, has announced.
By Alfred Wasike
THE cessation of hostilities agreement signed by the Government and the LRA on Saturday, compels the indicted rebel supremo, Joseph Kony and his three deputies to assemble in the designated areas with their forces, the Government’s peace talks team leader, Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda, has announced.
“In our discussions and agreement on the cessation of hostilities we are looking at the LRA in totality. This agreement binds all members of the LRA. We expect the indicted leaders of the LRA to oblige to the agreement.
"The terms of the agreement binds them too. We are obliged to respect the agreement,†Rugunda, who is also internal affairs minister, told a news conference at the Uganda Media Centre yesterday.
Rugunda said the talks resume on Thursday towards a comprehensive peace agreement.
The four-page truce was signed in Juba, southern Sudan by Rugunda and Martin Ojul, the chairman of the LRA peace team. It was witnessed by Dr. Riek Machar, the chief mediator and vice-president of Southern Sudan.
The deal states that Uganda shall order its armed forces to guarantee safe passage to the LRA within Uganda to enable them move to the designated assembly areas, while the Sudan People’s Liberation Army shall monitor and protect the LRA at the assembly points.
It also says if the peace talks fail, the LRA shall be allowed to leave the assembly areas peacefully. The rebels were given three weeks to complete their movements.
The UN International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants last year against Kony, Vincent Otti, Okot Odhiambo, Dominic Ongwen and Raska Lukwiya over war crimes and crimes against humanity, committed in Uganda since July 2002, in the
context of their 20-year campaign of brutality against civilians.
Kony and his top lieutenants are among the world’s most-wanted rebel commanders.
The global police, Interpol, also issued arrest notices for the five and distributed them in its 184-member states.
The four-page deal signed in Juba, comes into force at 0600 hours tomorrow. It states:
“The Parties agree that all LRA forces in Uganda and Sudan will assemble at Owiny-ki-Bul in Eastern Equatoria State on the eastern side of the River Nile and those in the DRC at Ri-Kwangba in Western Equatoria State on the western side of River Nile.â€
Rugunda explained that the deal was signed in a cordial atmosphere and urged the media to highlight the agreed on points for the sake of peace in northern Uganda and southern Sudan.
“We have had bad experiences. We remember the failed peace talks in 1994 and 2004. this time, we were careful as a government,†Rugunda said.
He said Uganda would name its two representatives to the Cessation of Hostilities Monitoring Team within three days.
“We shall name them in three days time. They will report in Juba but there will be mechanisms in the field to monitor the LRA assembling.
The cessation deal states that,
“There shall be a Cessation of Hostilities Monitoring Team (CHMT) that shall report to the mediator and shall be composed of: Team leader who shall be a senior SPLA military officer appointed by GoSS in consultation with the Parties, Two representatives, from each of the two parties. Two senior military officers appointed by the African Union (AU).â€
He said the Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS) and other international friends would help in resettling the people displaced by the LRA war.
Rugunda hailed Lira Municipality MP Jimmy Akena for being a “good broker in the run-up to the signing.
Akena, who attended the press conference, smiled and said, “The central point of the talks was the need for peace. There was a lot of mistrust but there was not much divergence in their position papers.â€
Others present were ministers Crispus Kiyonga, Tarsis Kabwegyere, Okello Oryem, Ruth Nankabirwa and Uganda’s peace team spokesman Capt. Paddy Ankunda.
THE cessation of hostilities agreement signed by the Government and the LRA on Saturday, compels the indicted rebel supremo, Joseph Kony and his three deputies to assemble in the designated areas with their forces, the Government’s peace talks team leader, Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda, has announced.
“In our discussions and agreement on the cessation of hostilities we are looking at the LRA in totality. This agreement binds all members of the LRA. We expect the indicted leaders of the LRA to oblige to the agreement.
"The terms of the agreement binds them too. We are obliged to respect the agreement,†Rugunda, who is also internal affairs minister, told a news conference at the Uganda Media Centre yesterday.
Rugunda said the talks resume on Thursday towards a comprehensive peace agreement.
The four-page truce was signed in Juba, southern Sudan by Rugunda and Martin Ojul, the chairman of the LRA peace team. It was witnessed by Dr. Riek Machar, the chief mediator and vice-president of Southern Sudan.
The deal states that Uganda shall order its armed forces to guarantee safe passage to the LRA within Uganda to enable them move to the designated assembly areas, while the Sudan People’s Liberation Army shall monitor and protect the LRA at the assembly points.
It also says if the peace talks fail, the LRA shall be allowed to leave the assembly areas peacefully. The rebels were given three weeks to complete their movements.
The UN International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants last year against Kony, Vincent Otti, Okot Odhiambo, Dominic Ongwen and Raska Lukwiya over war crimes and crimes against humanity, committed in Uganda since July 2002, in the
context of their 20-year campaign of brutality against civilians.
Kony and his top lieutenants are among the world’s most-wanted rebel commanders.
The global police, Interpol, also issued arrest notices for the five and distributed them in its 184-member states.
The four-page deal signed in Juba, comes into force at 0600 hours tomorrow. It states:
“The Parties agree that all LRA forces in Uganda and Sudan will assemble at Owiny-ki-Bul in Eastern Equatoria State on the eastern side of the River Nile and those in the DRC at Ri-Kwangba in Western Equatoria State on the western side of River Nile.â€
Rugunda explained that the deal was signed in a cordial atmosphere and urged the media to highlight the agreed on points for the sake of peace in northern Uganda and southern Sudan.
“We have had bad experiences. We remember the failed peace talks in 1994 and 2004. this time, we were careful as a government,†Rugunda said.
He said Uganda would name its two representatives to the Cessation of Hostilities Monitoring Team within three days.
“We shall name them in three days time. They will report in Juba but there will be mechanisms in the field to monitor the LRA assembling.
The cessation deal states that,
“There shall be a Cessation of Hostilities Monitoring Team (CHMT) that shall report to the mediator and shall be composed of: Team leader who shall be a senior SPLA military officer appointed by GoSS in consultation with the Parties, Two representatives, from each of the two parties. Two senior military officers appointed by the African Union (AU).â€
He said the Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS) and other international friends would help in resettling the people displaced by the LRA war.
Rugunda hailed Lira Municipality MP Jimmy Akena for being a “good broker in the run-up to the signing.
Akena, who attended the press conference, smiled and said, “The central point of the talks was the need for peace. There was a lot of mistrust but there was not much divergence in their position papers.â€
Others present were ministers Crispus Kiyonga, Tarsis Kabwegyere, Okello Oryem, Ruth Nankabirwa and Uganda’s peace team spokesman Capt. Paddy Ankunda.