LRA team arrives in Kampala

Oct 30, 2007

TWO LRA fighters flew in from the southern Sudanese town of Juba yesterday to prepare the ground for consultations with victims of their rebellion.

By Henry Mukasa

TWO LRA fighters flew in from the southern Sudanese town of Juba yesterday to prepare the ground for consultations with victims of their rebellion.

The visit is part of a process of reconciliation and accountability before a final peace deal is sealed. Rei Achama and Michael Anywar represent the LRA on the Cessation of Hostilities Monitoring Team, which monitors the truce signed between the rebels and Government in August 2006.

The two rebels were driven to Kampala in a convoy of privately-registered vehicles led by a Police patrol pick-up truck. “That’s an advance team of the LRA.

“They are here to discuss the security arrangements that we shall put in place for the LRA delegation that will be coming for consultations,” said Dr. Steven Kagoda, the permanent secretary of the internal affairs ministry.

The rebels, accompanied by an SPLA officer and a member of the Africa Union observer team, were received at Entebbe Airport by Kagoda.

Kagoda, Santa Okot, one of the LRA negotiators, and Anthony Barre an adviser to the Juba peace talks mediation team and to Dr. Riek Machar, the chief mediator, had waited in the VIP lounge from morning for the rebels who arrived at about 5:00pm.

They did not use the VIP arrivals lounge.

Achama and Anywar will meet internal affairs minister Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda and fly back to Juba tomorrow.

An LRA delegation, led by chairman Martin Ojul, will fly into Uganda on Thursday and fly to Gulu on Friday to commence consultations, Kagoda said.

The visit by the LRA delegation has been pending since August when the Government’s team conducted its consultations.

The peace talks broke off in June after the parties signed a pact on principles of accountability and reconciliation that required them to conduct consultations.

Donors have delivered $7.7m to fund the talks, a UN official said.

The funds from Denmark, the Netherlands, Ireland, Sweden, Canada and the European Union will be channelled through the UN Office for the Coordinator for Humanitarian Affairs.

“The budget proposed to donors in July 2007 has been fully funded,” said the official. It was not clear whether the donors had agreed to give the LRA an additional $800,000 for public consultations.

The LRA had said it would not resume talks until it got the money, which is not part of the $7.7m budget.

Last week, the International Criminal Court prosecutor said the rebels were selling food aid supplied to them to buy arms.

“Joseph Kony and the three other indicted commanders have regained strength and financial means,” Luis Moreno-Ocampo told diplomats in The Hague.

“We ask partner states to monitor with utmost vigilance supply networks, possible diversion of aid and funds to the benefit of the sought individuals.”

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