Uganda’s Museveni to visit Juba talks avenue
Oct 17, 2006 (JUBA/KAMPALA) –- Ugandan president will visit the avenue of the peace talks with a northern Ugandan rebel group in Sudan’s Juba, to execute his September 19 vow of confronting the Lords Resistance Army at the peace talks, the Daily Monitor reported.
However, the Museveni’s visit comes at a time when the talks between Kampala and the LRA have hit another all time low. The LRA delegation walked out of negotiations Monday after it emerged that the UPDF had clashed, in three separate incidences, with their rebel adversaries.
The military exchange, which may have squashed the August 26 truce, has elicited demands by the LRA of international sanctions against Kampala.
“We will not proceed with this negotiation until we get a thorough investigation and a statement from the government of Uganda,” said LRA spokesman Godfrey Ayo. “We want the international community to exert pressure on Uganda to stop violating the truce or even better to withdraw completely from South Sudan.”
The LRA’s second in command, Vincent Otti, said by satellite phone that, “My forces were south east of Juba and were going to Owiny-Ki-bul. Yesterday evening [Sunday] they were attacked by the UPDF but they ran away. At dawn this morning [Yesterday], another group was attacked but they ran and at 2pm this afternoon [yesterday] the UPDF attacked them but they ran away.”
Otti claimed the military altercations happened at Bilinyang, close to a UPDF military outpost 90 miles south east of Juba and reported three injuries. However, the UPDF spokesman, Maj Felix Kulayigye rebuffed reports of the attack and described Otti’s claims as “theatrical.”
“We have not had any contact with the LRA in as many months,” Kulayigye said, “Bilinyang is not an assembly point, is not a safe zone and is not a safe corridor. So it cannot affect Juba at all. They have the safe zones to use so why should they meander through Bilinyang, which by the way used to be their [LRA] base? I am urging the LRA to stop these games.”
Separately, a senior government official, who preferred anonymity, told Daily Monitor Monday that Museveni will travel to Juba on Saturday 21 October and take charge of the government peace negotiating team.
While the length of the President’s stay in Juba is still unclear, a highly placed source on the South Sudan mediation team revealed that Museveni would stay at Juba Raha Hotel where the peace negotiations are talking place.
Last month, Museveni said he wanted to take charge of the government peace team.
The Presiden’ts appearance in Juba would be the most significant confidence-building initiative so far, yet it remains to be seen whether a resumption of talks will materialize before his Saturday inclusion.
It is, however, unlikely that rebel leader Joseph Kony or his deputy Vincent Otti, who until now have preferred to talk peace through delegates, would reciprocate such a presidential gesture. Kony and Otti have rejected calls to attend the talks in person, citing security reasons. Otti said yesterday that he had ordered his forces to defend themselves and “repulse the UPDF” if attacked again.
“This is the order I have given them [LRA] because it is three times now that my people are running away while respecting the cessation of hostilities agreement. They should fight until they finish,” he said.
Reacting to the presidential visit, the LRA delegation said it was totally oblivious of the Museveni’s visit but protested what they termed as “the President’s provocative language.”
“We do not want to negotiate with a dagger on our neck but no amount of provocation can divert LRA’s focus,” said Ayo who was reacting to Museveni’s independence remark that the talks were the LRA’s last chance.
Meanwhile the Chairman of the Cessation of Hostilities Monitoring Team, Maj. Gen. Wilson Deng flew to Bilinyang to ascertain the LRA claims.
(The Daily Monitor)