Ugandan LRA rebels persist no peace talks in Sudan’s Juba

The LRA/M Peace Delegation has received with absolute chagrin and dismay a statement appearing in the Monitor of 5th March 2007, attributed to the Vice President of Southern Sudan to the fact that “he expects the LRA/M Mediation team to return to Juba this Wednesday to resume the Peace Talks”. The LRA/M wishes to clarify the position of both The Peace Delegation and the LRA/M High Command as follows;

1. Whereas it is true that the UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy, H.E. Joachim Chessano, met the LRA/M High Command, it is not true that any concrete decision was reached to resume the talks in Juba, least of all under the mediation of Dr. Riek Machar as Chief Mediator. In any case it still remains our contention that we never mandated Dr. Riek Machar as Mediator, he imposed himself. LRA/M position still remains that the Peace Talks venue should be moved from Juba and the Mediators changed. In the last 2 months we have fully expatiated upon the reasons for this position both publicly and privately to the Key stakeholders.

2. The Only issue discussed at the meeting concerned the reasons why the LRA/M Delegation suspended their participation in the Peace Talks in Juba and the way forward. It was then agreed that the UN Special Envoy would in the near future convene a meeting of all the stakeholders to resolve the impasse.

3. The other matter touching on the Peace Talks that we wish to comment on are statements regarding what is termed as Acholi Peace Conference, “Wang Oo”. We reject the assertion attributed to the LCV Chairman, Gulu, Norbert Mao that we were invited to the conference but we neither turned up nor communicated the reason for not turning up. First of all Mao is the least qualified person to make such a statement since we were not aware that he was the convener of the conference. The conference, we understand, was convened by the Office of the Acholi Paramount Chief. What is true is that His Highness David Onen Acana, consulted us on the arrangements to host the conference. However, he specifically reassured us that the conference had more to do with the post-conflict socio-economic rehabilitation and re-construction of Acholi Land and nothing to do with the Peace Talks. The Paramount Chief did not at any point give us any official invitation.

4. In case of any change in the LRA/M Delegations position we wish to categorically state that it shall not have been as a result of any influence exerted by the Acholi Peace Conference in Juba or any other person. We are aware that some politicians and other busy bodies may wish to reassure the public and all the stakeholders that the LRA/M High Command and the Peace Delegation remain responsible for any future decision on this important matter without any undue influence.

MARTIN OJUL

LEADER OF DELEGATION