July 2008 would have been the second anniversary of the
Juba peace process between the rebel group, the Lord’s Resistance Army and the
government of Uganda: two years of peace negotiations would have been made.
Unfortunately, no peace deal has been reached. In april 2008 the peace
talks collapsed when lra leader Joseph Kony refused to sign the peace
agreeement. Now the LRA is reported to be regrouping in DR Congo and acquiring
new weapons. A week ago eight members of the lra negotiation reported quit the
LRA camp.
Louise Khubere is an analyst with the International
Crisis Group in Nairobi, Kenya. She
told VOA’s Akwei Thompson that, as to the status of the peace talks,
it would be easier to listen to any comments that
mediators Riek Machar and Joachim Chissano have to make.
“I think the last recommendations Chissano made to
the Security Council threw the ball back to the court of the Ugandan government…”
She said.
Khubere added that the Ugandan government might be
keen on a military option.
“I think the Ugandan government, particularly
Museveni, has been very keen on the military option and less committed to
dialogue,” she said.
Khubere said that the recent denouncement of Kony
by eight members of his negotiating team “does not mean anything because they
had no consultations as a team, so for them to denounce to me is just one of
the gimmicks of the LRA delegation.”