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Uganda: I Will Sign Peace Deal, Says LRA Chief
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New Vision (Kampala)
26 March 2008
Posted to the web 27 March 2008
Milton Olupot
Juba
THE leader of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), Joseph Kony, will personally sign the final peace agreement, now slated for April 5, at his Ri-Kwangba base, the leader of his negotiators has said.
David Nyekorach Matsanga on Tuesday told the chief negotiator, South Sudan's Vice President Riek Machar, that Kony assured him he would sign but at the assembly point, not in Juba.
Kony could not travel to Juba because of the indictments of the International Criminal Court, he explained. "He is signing in Ri-Kwangba because the warrant is still on his head."
But the leader of the Government delegation, internal minister Rugunda Ruhakana, said it was impossible to move the ceremony to Ri-Kwangba given the big number of dignitaries, including presidents, expected to attend.
"We are making arrangements for the signing of the agreement in Juba," Rugunda told The New Vision last night.
"We want Kony to come in person."
He, however, added that the Government would not object to any other person authorised by Kony to sign as long as he could prove that he was an "authentic and authorised representative".
Another hiccup came on Tuesday night when, after agreeing on the final text and the implementation schedule, Matsanga said the LRA fighters would only disarm and demobilise after the ICC has withdrawn its indictments.
"Whatever agreements we have signed here are genuine and Gen. Joseph Kony will personally sign the final peace agreement.
"But the Government should talk to the UNâ-àSecurity Council and the ICC and have the indictments lifted .before the demobilisation and disarmament process," he said.
Rugunda reassured the LRA delegation that President Yoweri Museveni would honour his promise to use traditional justice systems to address the injustices that had been committed to the people of the region.
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He said the Judiciary was already putting in place mechanisms for the special branch of the High Court that would try the big offenders.
The signing had earlier been tentatively fixed for April 3 but was later moved to April 5 at the request of the mediator. Machar told both delegations that he needed time to prepare for the signing ceremony.
Prior to the signing, the LRA peace delegation is expected to travel to Ri-Kwangba with a group of religious, cultural and local leaders for final consultations with Kony.
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