The leader of Uganda’s Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) is expected to hold talks today with Sudanese mediators who want the rebels to disarm. The meeting is to take place at the border of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sudan. Vincent Otti, the deputy leader of the LRA, participated in talks with Sudan’s vice president Riek Machar on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the peace talks between the Ugandan government and the LRA are scheduled to resume tomorrow (Monday) in the Sudanese city of Juba. Felix Kuraigye is the spokesperson for the national army, the Uganda People’s Defense Forces. He told VOA English to Africa reporter Douglas Mpuga that scheduled peace talks in Juba will resume as planned.
Kuraigye said the Ugandan government had agreed to Kony’s request to meet his relatives and the relatives of his senior commanders. Kuraigye said the decision was a confidence-building measure.
“However, in view of the history of LRA, it was prudent to entrust the safety of all these people to the Sudanese mediators who were…asked by the LRA leader to start negotiations.”
Major Kuraigye said the LRA team in Juba and the Ugandan government have reached common positions on some issues.
“Whereas they disagreed on cessation of hostilities, they reached a common position on the issue of political participation.”
He added that they would revisit the issue of ending hostilities and the conditions under which the LRA will participate in political activities. “Other issues to be discussed are the disarmament of LRA, demobilization and re-integration into the UPDF.”
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