Kampala — A split among top LRA commanders and the diaspora community that has been supporting them is threatening the future of the Juba peace talks.

"Within the LRA, there is a split between those who are tired of fighting but are being held back, and those who don't want to go to Congo like Thomas Kwoyelo," a source said.

The leader of the Government delegation and internal affairs minister Ruhakana Rugunda said yesterday, "We are aware that the divisions are there but our focus remains on pushing the peace process to its logical conclusion."

Reports claim that there is a split among LRA supporters and sympathisers abroad. On one side is a group led by Olara Otunnu, who coordinates US and Canada. He also has links with Akena P'Ojok, a former Uganda National Liberation Front vice-president. There is also the group of Powell Onen P'Ojwong, alias Ladit Balgara and James Obita, a former LRA spokesman, who feel that they have been excluded from the peace process.

"They have re-established their contacts with some elements of the Sudanese Intelligence and managed to get some money and assistance to Kony," the source said.

The source said the LRA second-in-command, Vincent Otti, still believes firmly in Akena's group and the army alleges that recently Akena was in Garamba to meet Otti. He is believed to have delivered a special message from Otunnu.

He also said Otunnu was trying to make the LRA a legitimate negotiator in Juba, hoping that this would help them extract political concessions for themselves and in the process rescue the fighters.

Rugunda said the divisions and external influence were substantially affecting the peace process and that they had raised the issue of LRA moving back into Congo and teaming with the ADF and LRA to the negotiator Riek Machar and Otti.