Ugandan rebels have 3 weeks to assemble in South Sudan
June 5, 2007 (JUBA) — Ugandan peace talks chief mediator, Riek Machar, has officially communicated the route LRA fighters must use to assemble at Ri-Kwangba.
“Yes, I have communicated the routes to the LRA,” Machar said in a telephone interview today.
“There was some declaration three days ago on the routes to be used by LRA fighters. They need to act and start moving and the monitoring team will monitor them,” Machar explained.
In his declaration, Machar gave the LRA another three weeks within which they have to assemble at Ri-Kwangba, the single gathering point they had demanded and haggled for since October last year.
The former deadline, according to the addendum signed in April by both the LRA and the Government, expired on May 26.
Initially, the LRA fighters from Northern Uganda were supposed to assemble at Owiny-ki-Bul in South Sudan, while those west of the Nile were to gather at Ri-Kwangba.
In a telephone interview with the press in Gulu, LRA second in command, Vincent Otti, advised all his troops in Sudan and northern Uganda to be ready to move to Ri-kwangba as soon as possible, reports Chris Ocowun.
“I have been advising my troops in eastern equatorial province and northern Uganda to assemble in one point closer to the border of South Sudan and the DR. Congo so that they can move to us,” he said in an interview with Mega FM presenter, Lacambel Oryema.
“The chief peace talks mediator, Dr. Riek Machar gave the LRA remnants still roaming in South Sudan and northern Uganda three weeks more to move and assemble at Ri-kwangba. We shall need food to be provided to the LRA rebels who shall be walking from Eastern Equatorial and northern Uganda to join us in Ri-kwangba,” Otti added.
On the Juba peace talks, Otti said the third item on the agenda of accountability and reconciliation was at the heart of the peace talks and that did not need to be rushed.
Meanwhile, both delegations are holding internal consultation to fine-tune their position papers.
This follows a seminar on Saturday by Ker Kwaro Acholi, the Acholi traditional institution, on the content and application of traditional justice.
Chissano, Machar and representatives of the AU nations, who were present as observers, attended the seminar at Juba Raha. The Teso Cultural Union and the Lango Cultural Foundation sent representatives.
(New Vision)