Uganda rebel leader expresses hope for peace talks

Dec 27, 2006 (KAMPALA) — The elusive leader of Uganda’s brutal Lord’s Resistance Army delivered a holiday message over the radio, wishing a prosperous New Year to Ugandans and urging them not to lose hope in peace talks.

Joseph Kony, who is rarely seen in public, called into Mega FM radio on Tuesday night. “Let us all pray for peace as we enter 2007 so that we stop greeting each other through the radio but start talking face to face,” Kony said.

U.N. officials estimate the LRA has kidnapped 20,000 children in the past 19 years, turning the boys into soldiers and the girls into sex slaves for rebel commanders. The rebel leadership, including Kony, are wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Kony mixed politics with religious mysticism, declaring himself a Christian prophet fighting to rule this country of 26 million people according to the Ten Commandments.

The LRA signed a truce with the government in August, calling for rebel fighters to gather in September at two neutral points. But the deal has been undermined with both sides trading accusations of hostility.

The Lord’s Resistance Army is made up of the remnants of a rebellion that began after Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni took power in 1986. The conflict has spilled over into neighboring countries, causing further instability in the region.

If both sides reach a comprehensive deal, it will be a breakthrough in pacifying northern Uganda, eastern Congo and southern Sudan.

(AP)