AFRICA/UGANDA - Talks for peace in northern Uganda about to resume: justice is major issue

Friday, 12 January 2007

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Kampala (Fides Service)- Peace negotiations between the Ugandan government and the Lord’s Resistance Army rebels will resume on 15 January after having been suspended in mid December. The talks are held in Juba the capital Southern Sudan sponsored by the autonomous government (see Fides 30 August 2006).
“Before the suspension the talks had made progress” local Church sources told Fides. “This new round of talks will discuss the political aspect, on which reportedly progress has been made, and the question of justice”.
Justice is a tricky point because the International Penal Court has demanded the arrest of the main LRA leaders on charges of mass killings, rape, mutilation and abduction of children to be used as child soldiers. The LRA leadership replied that the arrest of its members would have a negative effect on the peace process and hostilities could resume.
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni promised to ask the International Court to drop the accusations against the LRA leaders so as not to undermine peace talks and in the meantime guaranteed immunity of arrest in Uganda for LRA chief Joseph Kony.
While waiting for the talks to resume the LRA delegation has asked for talks to be moved from Juba to Nairobi, in Kenya. ANSA news agency said a high level rebel delegation is in Nairobi preparing a statement requesting the transfer of the negotiations.
LRA representatives are also trying to contact former Mozambican president Joaquim Chissano, commissioned by the African Union AU to take up the reins of the negotiations, to inform him of the development.
“The LRA has asked more than once for the talks to be moved to Kenya - the source told Fides - but up to now it was to gain time and pressure the counterpart and the mediators. We have the feeling that this time the LRA wants to condition the resuming of the talks with a request for the transfer of the negotiations”. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 12/1/2007 righe 33 parole 385)