 |
|
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs |
UGANDA: Rebel moves threaten peace talks, says army
KITGUM, 27 Sep 2006 (IRIN) - In a move that could affect peace talks between the government and Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), the Ugandan army has accused the insurgents of violating a recent agreement by abandoning an assembly site designated by the truce deal.
A Ugandan army spokesman said on Wednesday the LRA fighters who had assembled in Owiny Ki-Bul in southern Sudan in accordance with the cessation of hostilities agreement signed with the government on 26 August had now left. He did not give a reason for the dispersal.
"We have information that the LRA fighters are moving away from the assembly point at Owiny Ki-Bul," Maj. Felix Kulaigye, said. "By yesterday evening, they were moving towards the River Nile. If this continues, we shall have to take necessary steps to protect the people."
By late on Wednesday, the LRA negotiating team had not arrived at the venue for talks that were due to resume with the government in Juba, southern Sudan. Both the government delegation and the mediator, the southern Sudanese Vice-President, Riek Machar, were waiting for the rebels.
According to the 26 August agreement, the rebel fighters are supposed to assemble at Owiny Ki-Bul in Sudan’s Eastern Equatoria State and in Ri-Kwangba in Western Equatoria State, while talks continue between the two parties.
On Saturday, the LRA team in Juba had threatened to walk out of the peace talks, claiming the Ugandan army had besieged their fighters at Owiny Ki-Bul. This was denied by Uganda’s army commander, Gen Aronda Nyakairima, who said his troops were 45 km away.
However, Aronda warned the LRA that his forces would hunt down the rebels should peace talks in Juba fail - a threat that could have triggered the exodus from Owiny Ki-Bul, according to local leaders in the northern Uganda town of Kitgum.
Local villagers at Pajok, Magwi district, in Sudan’s Equatoria province said at least 1,000 rebels encamped at Owiny Ki-Bul had left the area. Kulaigye said another group of rebels, led by Okot Odhiambo, was moving from Ri-Kwangba, near the Uganda-Democratic Republic of Congo border, towards West Nile region.
"We still believe the Juba talks remain the best option to end this conflict," Kulaigye told IRIN in Kitgum. "But if the LRA chose another option, we shall also do."
Martin Ojul, head of the rebel team negotiating a peace deal with the government after 19 years of war, told reporters he had no knowledge of the reported exodus, insisting that thousands of rebel fighters were at the two camps.
Odhiambo is one of five LRA commanders wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on charges of crimes against humanity and war crimes. Others include LRA commander Joseph Kony and his deputy Vincent Otti.
The rebels have, however, demanded that the ICC indictments be withdrawn before they agree a peace deal. But Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has said the indictments should not be rescinded until the rebel leaders sign a peace deal.
The Juba talks are seen as the best chance to end the 19-year conflict in northern Uganda in which the LRA is blamed for displacing about two million people - including 935,000 children - and forcing them to live in more than 200 camps across northern Uganda. Thousands have also been killed in the conflict.
An observer in Juba said the move away from the camps, if confirmed, could be a major blow to the talks.
vm/eo/mw
[ENDS]
This material comes to you via IRIN, a UN humanitarian information unit, but may not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations or its agencies. If you re-print, copy, archive or re-post this item, please retain this credit and disclaimer. Quotations or extracts should include attribution to the original sources. All materials copyright © UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 2006
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
