Uganda admits truce violation, saying was mistake

Oct 15, 2006 (KAMPALA) — Uganda on Sunday admitted violating a landmark truce by deploying too close to a Lord’s Resistance Army encampment, but said it was an innocent mistake.

A truce signed in August had raised hopes one of Africa’s longest and most vicious wars was nearing an end. But sabre-rattling and accusations of truce violations on both sides have strained peace talks in the south Sudanese capital Juba.

Under the ceasefire, LRA fighters were supposed to assemble at two locations in south Sudan — at Owiny-Ki-Bul, on the Sudan/Uganda border and Ri-Kwangba, on the Sudan/Congo border — without interference from Ugandan forces.

Ceasefire monitors in the south Sudanese government found that 800 LRA who had been gathered at Owiny-Ki-Bul had left, in violation of the truce. They also found the army had violated the truce by driving armed vehicles near the assembly point.

Minister of State for Defence Ruth Nankabirwa told reporters the only time the army was found to have deployed near the LRA was when it offered security to a team of diplomats and journalists on a fact-finding trip to Owiny-Ki-Bul.

“It wasn’t intended to breach the agreement. We thought we were facilitating media,” she said. “We said we were sorry and acknowledged it. It was honest and innocent.”

Nankabirwa reiterated allegations that the LRA had failed to assemble as agreed under the truce and said the group near Owiny-Ki-Bul had tried to cross to the Nile west to join the commanders in their hideouts near the other meeting point.

“We are not satisfied. The LRA has never assembled and that’s a breach,” she said. “When the LRA moved away, their intention was that they wanted to cross towards their commanders in Garamba (in Congo). They didn’t succeed.”

Nankabirwa said locals had prevented them from making the trip, but gave no explanation as to how.

She called on the LRA to return to the assembly areas.

The LRA’s 20-year insurgency has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced nearly 2 million in northern Uganda.

Throughout their insurgency, the rebels gained notoriety for their cruel attacks against civilians — killing villagers, mutilating survivors, and abducting tens of thousands of children to serve as fighters and sex slaves.

The LRA’s top commanders are wanted for war crimes in the International Criminal Court in The Hague, but have said they will never sign a peace deal unless the indictments are dropped.

(Reuters)