Sudan still waiting for LRA rebels’ response on peace talks

Jan 5, 2006 (KHARTOUM) — The deputy chairman of the southern government, Riek Machar, has revealed that there were efforts being made to solve the issue of the Lords Resistance Army (LRA) in the south.

He said that they had informed the LRA that their existence inside Sudanese territory was undesirable.

In a statement to the official SUNA, Machar said that the first vice-president and president of the south, Salva Kiir Mayardit, had given the LRA three choices to solve the problem.

The first was for them to return to Uganda, the second to take advantage of the fresh ties between the southern government and Uganda to mediate between the two sides and solve the dispute and the third, which we think there is need for, but just in case of an emergency, is for the Sudan People’s Liberation Army to go into fighting together with the government forces and the Ugandan army against the LRA.

Dr Machar said “We are still waiting for an official response from the LRA for the suggestions presented by the first vice-president”. He affirmed that if the LRA agrees to use the southern government as a mediator, the first vice-president would go to Kampala the following day to reach an understand and agreement with Ugandan President Museveni on how to negotiate and solve the conflict peacefully.

Machar said “In case the LRA leaders are afraid of holding talks inside Uganda we, the SPLM, and the southern government are ready to mediate so that the talks can be held outside the country either in Kenya, London or a place were the LRA agrees on”.

He said “the LRA is aware of the guarantees we are able to provide to hold negotiations abroad”.

Dr Riek Machar said that the LRA has not given an official response regarding the suggestions and choice made by the first vice president to solve the problem.

Machar said “We have looked at the responses on the internet under the name of the LRA, which we consider unofficial. We think that the internet is open to everyone and anyone who is not the LRA may call themselves as such, for this reason we will not depend on this response. The other response was in a form of a notice which will also not be considered”.

He reiterated that they were waiting for a response from the LRA regarding the suggestions. He said that they were confident that the LRA would choose to come out of our country and seek negotiations instead of confrontation, which we both sides do not want.

(ST)