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UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

UGANDA: Museveni dismisses LRA ceasefire announcement

KAMPALA, 6 March 2003 (IRIN) - President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda has dismissed the ceasefire announced on Saturday by the leader of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebel group, Joseph Kony.

"There is no ceasefire. [The] Ugandan People's Defence Force (UPDF) cannot respect Kony's unilateral ceasefire. It is a ploy for him and his terrorists to survive through the dry season. Ceasefires must be bilateral, not like Kony's," the government controlled 'New Vision' newspaper quoted Museveni as saying on Thursday.

Members of parliament from northern Uganda have criticised the president's stance. "We think the government should come out and think twice on its decision because we feel the rebels are serious," Regan Okumu, an MP for Aswa County and member of the government peace team, told IRIN on Thursday.

A meeting was due to take place at an undisclosed location on Thursday between Museveni's brother and a member of the government peace team, Salim Saleh, and "some rebels or some people connected to the rebels", Museveni was quoted by the New Vision as saying.

On Wednesday the coordinator of the Acholi Religious Leaders Peace Initiative, Lam Cosmas, told IRIN that intensive shuttle diplomacy was going on between the government and the LRA to bring the two sides face to face.

Meanwhile, the UPDF is continuing to pursue the LRA. "A ceasefire is not just words, it is words and action," army spokesman, Shaban Bantariza, told IRIN on Thursday. "Therefore, if they [the LRA] can claim they have declared a ceasefire and in just within two days they make nine violations then we have no option but to pursue them."

The LRA reportedly violated its ceasefire declaration over the weekend.

Bantariza added that Kony's second in command, Vincent Otti, had fled last week back to a base in southern Sudan with about 300 others, including many civilian captives. Another key LRA fighter, James Opoka, was also believed to have fled to the Kenyan capital, Nairobi.

Themes: (IRIN) Conflict

[ENDS]

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