Raymond Baguma
3 December 2008
Kampala — THE Government has rejected LRA leader Joseph Kony's new demands and urged him to sign the final peace agreement before anything else can be addressed.
Kony set the conditions during the two-day meeting with traditional and religious leaders in the jungles of Garamba forest in the eastern DR Congo over the weekend.
A source said Kony's demands were "out of this world". "Either he is deliberately doing that to remain in the bush or he is not mentally upright."
Kony asked the UN envoy to the peace talks, former Mozambican President Joacquim Chissano, to condemn what he called consistent attacks by the SPLA, the Congolese army and MONUC, the UN peacekeepers there, on his forces in the national park.
He also wants the peace process restarted "because the initial talks are dead".
The new talks should focus on renegotiating the contentious issue of the ICC arrest warrants. He said he would not sign the peace deal before the warrants are withdrawn.
He also wants Prime Minister Prof. Apolo Nsibambi on the Government peace team. He also said he would never surrender to the ICC. Kony argued that even if he were killed, his fighters would fight on for 100 years.
Kony said he was not aware he was to sign the agreement last Saturday. Kony failed to show up at Ri-Kwangba in South Sudan where the delegation of 22 Ugandan leaders was waiting.
His demands were presented to the lead government negotiator, Ruhakana Rugunda, by LRA's Nyekorach Matsanga.
Matsanga had earlier said Kony wanted face-to-face talks with President Yoweri Museveni and a role in the Government.
At the weekend, Kony also said the numerous phone calls from Acholi had confused him.
He cited the 4th Division commander, Brig. Charles Otema, whom he accused of threatening him with death. He also pointed out Laker Akot, the director of Invisible Children, an NGO in northern Uganda and another man identified as Peter Ojwang Ola.
The LRA leader also demanded welfare packages for himself and his commanders.
In a reaction, the spokesman of the Government delegation, Capt. Chris Magezi, said the agreement provided for the reintegration and welfare of rebel fighters.
Rugunda said Kony was aware of the Saturday signing programme. He ruled out the possibility of restarting the talks.
"The Government is saying, 'No!'"
Since Kony is hiding in the DR Congo illegally, Rugunda added, the country had the right to attack his forces to defend its sovereignty.
If Kony had signed the peace agreement, and had assembled in Ri-Kwangba as required, no one would attack him. "But he is outside the assembly point," Rugunda said.
That is why he is being attacked and making himself vulnerable and a target."
He said outstanding issues would be addressed in the implementation phase of the agreement.
Rugunda said the Government would wait for Kony to sign. "Kony is late. By refusing to sign, he is an obstacle to the peace process. Nevertheless, the door remains open for him."
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2008 New Vision. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
