Kampala — THE defunct Uganda National Rescue Front II (UNRFII) rebel group has said the Government tricked them into signing a peace agreement in 2002.

Oyami Asedri, the former second-in-command and the vice-chairman of the group formerly based in West Nile, said the Government made the agreement in a way that it could not be sued if it failed to fulfil the agreed terms.

The rebels, under the leadership of Maj. Gen. Ali Bamuze, signed the agreement on December 24, 2002 at the Boma grounds in Yumbe district in the presence of President Yoweri Museveni.

"I made it clear that the agreement we signed had a lot of errors. It was not complete and that is why some issues in the agreement like gainful employment for other people have never been taken care of," Asedri said.

He, however, said the Government had implemented part of the agreement including providing sh4.2b for resettlement of the ex-combatants and integrating them into the community and the army.

Asedri was responding to Arua resident district commissioner Ibrahim Abiriga who said: "Asedri and others were given sh30m each but after finishing the money, he has turned to criticising the Government."

However, Asedri, who is now a member of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party, denied receiving money from the NRM and said if the UNRFII did not dissolve their political wing, he would not have joined any other party.