Kony sends ceasefire terms to UK
THE Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebels of Joseph Kony have set a number of demands before any ceasefire agreement is reached with the Government.
By Felix Osike
THE Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebels of Joseph Kony have set a number of demands before any ceasefire agreement is reached with the Government.
The New Vision has seen documents submitted to the British Parliament, when four MPs Reagan Okumu, Norbert Mao, Elijah Okupa, Nyeko Ocula and Bishop Baker Ochola visited London early this year.
The MPs met John Battle, Hugh Bayley, Tony Colman and Tony Baldry of the House of Commons who forwarded their report to the Secretary for International Development, Clare Short.
The LRA want guaranteed security for their two top commanders, Joseph Kony and Vincent Otti, and their fighters. They have also called for direct talks with government through international mediators in a neutral country.
The Ugandan MPs said South Africa had offered to mediate in the peace talks but this could not be confirmed.
The rebels also demanded that vehicles belonging to relief agencies must move with their flags on, without military escorts.
Other demands were a meeting with President Yoweri Museveni, return of UPDF to the barracks, dismantling of protected camps, release of captives, airtime and service fee for their mobile phones, re-chargeable
batteries, simpacks and the 1995 Uganda constitution.
They want a ceasefire declared in the northern region and the Anti-Terrorism Act 2001, which declared them a terrorist organisation, amended.
The LRA rejected Owiny Kibul, the place proposed by Museveni as a venue for surrendering rebels, saying they did not want to be confined at this stage.
Bishop Ochola informed the British MPs of the degenerating situation in northern Uganda where close to one million people are living in squalid camps.
In a letter to Short dated January 23, MP Baldry said, “We hope that the UK government will be able to use its influence in Kampala and elsewhere to help facilitate a process to see whether this conflict can peacefully be brought to an end.â€
“We know that the UK government’s relationship with the government of Uganda is not uncritical. Enormous suffering, and mass abduction of children by the LRA and their being killed by government forces is a human tragedy that cannot be allowed to continue,†Baldry said in the letter.
THE Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebels of Joseph Kony have set a number of demands before any ceasefire agreement is reached with the Government.
The New Vision has seen documents submitted to the British Parliament, when four MPs Reagan Okumu, Norbert Mao, Elijah Okupa, Nyeko Ocula and Bishop Baker Ochola visited London early this year.
The MPs met John Battle, Hugh Bayley, Tony Colman and Tony Baldry of the House of Commons who forwarded their report to the Secretary for International Development, Clare Short.
The LRA want guaranteed security for their two top commanders, Joseph Kony and Vincent Otti, and their fighters. They have also called for direct talks with government through international mediators in a neutral country.
The Ugandan MPs said South Africa had offered to mediate in the peace talks but this could not be confirmed.
The rebels also demanded that vehicles belonging to relief agencies must move with their flags on, without military escorts.
Other demands were a meeting with President Yoweri Museveni, return of UPDF to the barracks, dismantling of protected camps, release of captives, airtime and service fee for their mobile phones, re-chargeable
batteries, simpacks and the 1995 Uganda constitution.
They want a ceasefire declared in the northern region and the Anti-Terrorism Act 2001, which declared them a terrorist organisation, amended.
The LRA rejected Owiny Kibul, the place proposed by Museveni as a venue for surrendering rebels, saying they did not want to be confined at this stage.
Bishop Ochola informed the British MPs of the degenerating situation in northern Uganda where close to one million people are living in squalid camps.
In a letter to Short dated January 23, MP Baldry said, “We hope that the UK government will be able to use its influence in Kampala and elsewhere to help facilitate a process to see whether this conflict can peacefully be brought to an end.â€
“We know that the UK government’s relationship with the government of Uganda is not uncritical. Enormous suffering, and mass abduction of children by the LRA and their being killed by government forces is a human tragedy that cannot be allowed to continue,†Baldry said in the letter.