S. Sudan’s Machar absence of Juba delays Ugandan talks
Sept 5, 2006 (JUBA) — The absence of the Sudanese mediator in Ugandan peace talks outside Juba delayed the resumption of the third session of the negotiations scheduled to start Monday.
The chief mediator at the Juba peace talks between government and LRA, Riek Machar, has for the fourth day camped at Owiny Ki-bul, one of the assembly points for the rebels.
Machar, who is also the Vice-President of the Government of Southern Sudan (GOSS), left Juba on Saturday with some members of the Cessation of Hostilities Monitoring Team (CHMT).
His absence has delayed the resumption of the talks intended to end close to two decades of war that has devastated northern Uganda and southern Sudan.
Officials at the talks secretariat were cagey on when the third round of talks shall commence, the Ugandan New Vision reported.
Owiny Ki-bul is 10 kilometres inside Sudan from the Uganda border.
Juba TV on Monday reported that Machar had briefed elders and residents of Owiny Ki-bul on the progress of the peace talks. “The vice-president said peace in northern Uganda means peace in southern Sudan,” the station said.
The Juba talks went into recess after the two parties signed the cessation of hostilities agreement (CHA) on August 26 at Juba Raha.
Under the agreement, the parties are to send two representatives each to form the CHMT. GOSS president Salva Kiir was to appoint the leader of the team and provide a neutral force to guard Owiny Ki-bul and Rwikwagba, where the LRA fighters are assembling.
Kiir appointed Maj. Gen. Wison Deng Kuoirot to head CHMT and Lt. Col. Kwai Deng as co-ordinator. President Yoweri Museveni named Col. Charles Okoli and Col. Tumusiime Nyakaitana as the Government representatives.
Maj. Mike Kisame, the Director of Intelligence in the Uganda Airforce and Lt. Moses Amule were named aides.
The LRA is yet to send its representatives but its delegation chairman, Martin Ojulu, said one of their top commanders, Dominic Ongwen, discussed the matter with the UPDF in Pader on his way to Owiny Ki-bul.
(New Vision/ST)