Kenya advises Uganda’s LRA to continue talks in Sudan’s Juba
Jan 15, 2007 (KAMPALA) — Kenya’s deputy parliament speaker has advised the Ugandan rebel Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) to continue talking peace from Juba in South Sudan.
Kenyan deputy parliament speaker, Samuel Poghisio, described the current demands by LRA to change the venue from Juba to Nairobi as a tactic aimed at delaying the signing of the peace agreement.
Poghisio, who is also the regional chairperson of the Great Lakes Parliamentary Forum on Peace (AMANI Forum), told journalists at parliament yesterday that the forum would not support any act that delayed the peace process.
“Shifting venues to other places means delaying the peace talks. Amani will not support anything that delays the talks. The people of northern Uganda want peace. Talks have progressed well in Sudan and we advise that they stay there.”
He observed that the prolonged conflict between the Government and the LRA had not only hindered the stability and growth of Uganda but also that of the Great Lakes Region.
Poghisio’s comments come after the LRA high command recently demanded that the talks be shifted to either Kenya or South Africa, saying the Sudanese authorities had become unaccomodative.
Accompanied by other forum members, Poghisio also presented a petition to the Speaker of parliament, Edward Ssekandi, urging parliament to pass a resolution supporting the peace talks and individual parties at the talks.
They asked Parliament to compel the Government to send a diplomatic observer mission to the talks.
Amani also demanded that the Government involves the African Union and the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development in the talks.
Ssekandi promised to present the Amani petition to parliament. He also assured the group of parliament’s commitment towards the peace process.
(New Vision)