No renegotiation of Uganda peace deal – mediator and LRA negotiator
By James Gatdet Dak
September 19, 2008 (JUBA) – The Juba peace talks between the Ugandan government and the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) which was concluded in March this year and only awaits signature of the rebel leader Joseph Kony “cannot be renegotiated,” said a joint press statement signed by the Chief Mediator, Government of Southern Sudan’s Vice President, Riek Machar Teny, LRA peace delegation leader, David Matsanga and the Paramount Chief of Acholi in northern Uganda, Rwot David Acana II.
The statement was issued on Thursday in Juba after a two-day joint consultative meeting involving the Chief Mediator, LRA delegation, political, religious and traditional leaders from northern Uganda where issues and challenges surrounding the signing of the Final Peace Agreement were reviewed and reflected on.
Since March this year, the Uganda peace talks was officially concluded and a final copy of the Final Peace Agreement (FPA) was initialed by the two parties and witnessed by the Chief Mediator, representatives of the international community from Canada, Norway, USA, EU, the UN and the African Union.
The final copy has since then been made ready for signing by Joseph Kony and then by President Yoweri Museveni of the Republic of Uganda for implementation.
Kony, however, failed to sign his part, citing ICC’s indictments and warrants of arrest as an obstacle and demanded for removal of arrest warrants and need to clarify some items of the agreement before he could sign the deal.
The meeting pointed out that such clarifications could be addressed after the signing in accordance with the provisions of the Final Peace Agreement (FPA).
“Any issue regarding the FPA that may require further clarification can be addressed under the mechanisms provided for by the agreement. These mechanisms include the Joint Liaison Group (JLG), the Oversight Forum and Stakeholders’ Conferences which are operational on signature of the Final Peace Agreement,” said the joint press statement.
The rebel chief negotiator, David Matsanga, told the joint meeting that his leader has dropped such demand and agreed to sign the agreement despite the ICC’s warrants of arrest.
He however explained that during his 125-minute telephone conversation with Kony this week, his leader warned not to disarm his forces after the signing of the Final Peace Agreement until the “Ugandan government goes to the United Nations Security Council to remove the warrants of arrest.”
Kony has also requested for a meeting with political, religious and traditional leaders from Northern and North-eastern Uganda to assure him of their support during the implementation of the deal and to participate in the arrangements for fixing a date for the signing.
It was resolved that a team of fifteen people drawn from the conflict affected areas led by the Paramount Chief of Acholi and accompanied by the LRA delegation be facilitated to travel and meet the LRA leader, Joseph Kony, to explain to him the benefits of signing the Final Peace Agreement as soon as possible.
Kony will set the date of the aforesaid meeting.
In his 11th September statement on the status of the peace process, Chief Mediator Dr. Riek Machar said the ball was now in the court of Joseph Kony to show his seriousness towards the peace process by signing the agreement as soon as possible.
FRESH ATTACKS IN WESTERN EQUATORIA STATE
While the joint meeting was taking place in Juba, fresh attacks were reported in Western Equatoria state. Sources attributed to Western Equatoria state government accuse the LRA of such attacks.
Responding to the news about such fresh attacks when fresh attempts were being made to sign the Final Peace Agreement, David Matsanga, leader of LRA delegation said he could not understand the usual unfortunate co-incidence of such attacks with attempts to sign the deal.
He could not deny or confirm that the LRA was responsible for the attacks nor point a finger to another group, but felt that there could be some sort of sabotage somewhere.
The rebel chief negotiator said he received a communication via the LRA officer who is a member of the Cessation of Hostilities Monitoring Team (CHMT) who reported to him that the LRA forces were under attack by unknown group and that gun shots could be heard on telephone.
He lamented that last month when an arrangement was being made at Ri-kwangba to meet the LRA leader, a shoot out occurred between some elements of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) and the LRA at the designated area of Ri-Kwangba.
Matsanga further explained that when another attempt to meet Kony on 6th September was arranged at the same venue, international media reported on the 5th September that Monoc, a United Nations force based in DR Congo was about to attack the LRA positions, which caused Joseph Kony to evacuate from the venue.
He further lamented that while a fresh arrangements to meet Kony to sign the agreement was being discussed in Juba, news of attacks broke out again.
The Government of Southern Sudan’s Vice President and Chief Mediator, Machar, said he received reports of LRA forces movements, some east wards and some west wards from their designated area.
He could not, however, confirm that the LRA was responsible for the attacks.
In June this year, the LRA launched a deadly attack on the SPLA military barrack in Nabanga of Western Equatoria state which left more than twenty people dead, some civilians.
The LRA confirmed the attack, but accused the SPLA of provoking its forces.
In February a number of attacks were carried out in Keji-Keji, Lanya and Yei counties which were attributed to the LRA, but turned out to be non-LRA masqueraders after 9 culprits were captured and identified not to be from the LRA.
In 2006, the time the peace talks was launched, a series of attacks occurred in the suburbs of Juba town in the Gumbo area, which were initially blamed on the LRA, but quickly proved wrong when 17 culprits were captured in action and identified not to be from the LRA.
The Ugandan rebels have been, for over the years, widely accused of massive killings, maiming, abducting and raping of their victims, some young children.
If confirmed to be the LRA carrying out the recent attacks in Western Equatoria state, this would raise more questions locally, regionally and internationally as to what transpired the attacks or whether the rebels’ leadership is really serious about the peace process.
(ST)