Francis Kagolo
9 December 2007
Kampala — THE LRA leader, Joseph Kony, and his commanders must leave their Garamba hide-out in the DR Congo before the Juba peace talks resume next year, the leader of the Government delegation to the talks has said.
Ruhakana Rugunda last Friday told a public dialogue on accountability and reconciliation at Makerere University that the LRA had continued to violate the cessation of hostilities agreement.
"The fact that the LRA have not moved to Ri-Kwangba in South Sudan is a violation of the agreement. What are they doing in Garamba?"
The agreement, signed in August 2006, required Kony and his soldiers to assemble at Owiny-Kibul and Ri-Kwangba.
Later, it was agreed that all the rebels meet at Ri-Kwangba at the Sudan-Congo border, but the LRA remained in the Congo.
"Let us simplify life. Tell Kony and the LRA to assemble in Ri-Kwangba before the talks resume. We shall supply food there," Rugunda said in response to a question about the Congolese threat of flushing Kony out of Garamba if he does not leave by January 31.
"To send out the LRA, Kabila is being a responsible president," Rugunda noted.
Earlier, Rugunda had lauded Martin Ojul, the leader of the LRA delegation and his peace team for their ongoing "productive" consultations in the country.
"For them to face the victims and apologise after 21 years of fighting shows the qualitative change taking place in our environment in search for peace." He urged the team to "adequately articulate the victims' views" once the peace talks resume next year.
Former intelligence chief, David Pulkol, noted that the International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrants were still a major challenge to the peace process.
He urged the Government to ask the court to lift the arrest warrants, a proposal Rugunda opposed.
"Who told you that the LRA is such a lovely name to the UN Security Council that when you appeal to it, it will waive the arrest warrants?" he replied.
The meeting was organised by the Advocates Coalition for Development and Environment and the Makerere University peace and conflict studies department.
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