Kony, Otti skip talks

ALONG THE SUDAN-DR CONGO BORDER, Wednesday - LRA rebels yesterday rebuffed appeals to send their top-ranking leaders to peace talks, dealing a potential blow to negotiations aimed at ending a two-decade conflict.

Despite an offer from the Government of “total amnesty” for rebel chiefs, the LRA said security issues, including war crimes indictments against their leaders, precluded both supremo Joseph Kony and his deputy Vincent Otti from attending the talks.

The rebel rejection came even as security minister Amama Mbabazi was in The Hague urging the International Criminal Court (ICC) to drop the war crimes charges it lodged against the elusive Kony, Otti and three other commanders last year.

Otti delivered the news on the day the now-postponed peace talks had been due to start in Juba, southern Sudan, under the mediation of the region’s autonomous government, which had been pushing the LRA to send a top-level negotiating team.

Otti told chief mediator Riek Machar, the vice-president of south Sudan, that neither he nor Kony could attend the talks, at least at first, due to security concerns. They are considered fugitives by the ICC. “I cannot come at this time. Can I risk myself going to Juba?”

Otti told Machar at a remote jungle clearing on Sudan’s border with the DRC, where the LRA leadership is based.

Machar, who had been waiting at the undisclosed location for four days in the hope of making a personal appeal to Kony, was clearly frustrated with the rebel stance, which he said would delay the talks until at least Friday.

“Yes, you can (go to Juba) if you love your country,” he replied, according to an AFP correspondent at the scene. “What stops you from coming to Juba?”
Machar said the LRA stance jeopardised the credibility of his own government, which has been criticised for meeting the LRA in light of the ICC indictments.

“We defied the whole world so you could have a chance to come and say your viewpoints,” Machar said. “I will come later,” Otti said, prompting another rejoinder from Machar, who reminded the LRA number two that Kony had to be present to sign any accord agreed upon. Otti replied that Kony would sign a deal if one was reached. “The time will come,” he said. “A year or a month. But Joseph Kony will sign or there is no peace.”

In the meantime, Otti said the LRA would send two senior colonels — Bwone Lobwa and Santo Alit — to join the rebel delegation to the talks in Juba.

There was no immediate reaction to that move from Ugandan officials, who had made no secret of wanting Kony or Otti present. Kampala had argued that they were the only rebels who had the authority to negotiate.

Amama Mbabazi pressed ICC officials yesterday to drop the war crimes indictments. Kony, Otti and three commanders were indicted for war crimes by the ICC at Kampala’s request. But President Museveni offered them total amnesty if the talks succeed.

Meanwhile, Alfred Wasike reports that the ICC has restated that the arrest warrants against Kony and his commanders remain in effect. ICC chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo last evening said Mbabazi was at The Hague as part of a regular exchange.

“The Government of Uganda did not ask for any withdrawal of the warrants of arrest. The arrest warrants remain in effect.”
Mbabazi confirmed this.