DRC gives Kony one month to quit
Dec 07, 2007
LRA rebel chief Joseph Kony must leave his hideout in DR Congo’s Garamba national park by January 31 or be flushed out, a meeting of the Great Lakes countries in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa resolved. Sources said the deadline had been agreed on earlier in the Tanzanian town of Arusha on Sept
By Geresom Musamali
LRA rebel chief Joseph Kony must leave his hideout in DR Congo’s Garamba national park by January 31 or be flushed out, a meeting of the Great Lakes countries in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa resolved. Sources said the deadline had been agreed on earlier in the Tanzanian town of Arusha on September 8.
The Ethiopian meeting, under the so-called Tripartite Plus arrangement, was convened by the US secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, on Wednesday. In attendance were Congo’s foreign affairs minister Mbusa Nyamwisi and interior state minister Denis Kalume.
Congo authorities promised firm action against Kony, in consultation with the Ugandan government, if the current peace talks in Juba, South Sudan, are not concluded by January 31, and the rebels did not vacate their forest hideout.
The meeting again urged the rebels to implement previous agreements aimed at ending the war, such as assembling at Ri-Kwangba in southern Sudan.
The meeting, which was called to discuss the issue of “negative forces†in the Great Lakes region, was sponsored by the United States. The LRA and the Allied Democratic Forces are among the Ugandan groups operating in eastern DR Congo.
Uganda was represented at the talks by President Yoweri Museveni, ministers Sam Kutesa for foreign affairs, Dr. Crispus Kiyonga (defence), ambassadors Edith Ssempala (Ethiopia), Richard Kabonero (Rwanda and Burundi) and the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence boss, Col. Leopold Kyanda.
A communiqué issued at the end of the meeting said the leaders agreed to immediately strengthen Congo’s institutions as a means towards a long-term solution to insecurity in the eastern part of the country.
The leaders also agreed that no member state continues harbouring negative forces that antagonise another state and committed themselves to supporting the strengthening of the institutions, the communiqué added.
Condoleezza Rice announced her government’s contribution of over $1.6m for the demobilisation, disarmament and reintegration of the LRA. In addition, the United States Agency for International Development is to provide $332,333 for the ongoing LRA-government Juba peace talks, the US embassy in Kampala said yesterday.
The meeting noted the continued threat to the region by other armed groups operating in eastern Congo, including ADF. They urged the government of Congo and the UN observer mission, MONUC, to disarm them. They also want the UN to slap sanctions on such groups.
LRA rebel chief Joseph Kony must leave his hideout in DR Congo’s Garamba national park by January 31 or be flushed out, a meeting of the Great Lakes countries in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa resolved. Sources said the deadline had been agreed on earlier in the Tanzanian town of Arusha on September 8.
The Ethiopian meeting, under the so-called Tripartite Plus arrangement, was convened by the US secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, on Wednesday. In attendance were Congo’s foreign affairs minister Mbusa Nyamwisi and interior state minister Denis Kalume.
Congo authorities promised firm action against Kony, in consultation with the Ugandan government, if the current peace talks in Juba, South Sudan, are not concluded by January 31, and the rebels did not vacate their forest hideout.
The meeting again urged the rebels to implement previous agreements aimed at ending the war, such as assembling at Ri-Kwangba in southern Sudan.
The meeting, which was called to discuss the issue of “negative forces†in the Great Lakes region, was sponsored by the United States. The LRA and the Allied Democratic Forces are among the Ugandan groups operating in eastern DR Congo.
Uganda was represented at the talks by President Yoweri Museveni, ministers Sam Kutesa for foreign affairs, Dr. Crispus Kiyonga (defence), ambassadors Edith Ssempala (Ethiopia), Richard Kabonero (Rwanda and Burundi) and the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence boss, Col. Leopold Kyanda.
A communiqué issued at the end of the meeting said the leaders agreed to immediately strengthen Congo’s institutions as a means towards a long-term solution to insecurity in the eastern part of the country.
The leaders also agreed that no member state continues harbouring negative forces that antagonise another state and committed themselves to supporting the strengthening of the institutions, the communiqué added.
Condoleezza Rice announced her government’s contribution of over $1.6m for the demobilisation, disarmament and reintegration of the LRA. In addition, the United States Agency for International Development is to provide $332,333 for the ongoing LRA-government Juba peace talks, the US embassy in Kampala said yesterday.
The meeting noted the continued threat to the region by other armed groups operating in eastern Congo, including ADF. They urged the government of Congo and the UN observer mission, MONUC, to disarm them. They also want the UN to slap sanctions on such groups.