A two-month extension of the truce between the Ugandan government and the rebel Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) should spur the process to settle a conflict that has displaced nearly two million people in the north, spokesmen for both sides said on Monday, according to IRINNews.
The renewal of the August cessation of hostility agreement, which has largely held despite both sides questioning each other’s commitment, obliges the rebels to assemble within a month in two neutral places and urges government forces to observe the new arrangement.
Obonyo Olweny, LRA spokesman, said the extension was a “significant move”, and that the LRA forces would assemble both at Owiny Ki-Bul near the Sudanese border with Uganda, and Ri-Kwangba, near the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo. “We also expect the UPDF [Ugandan army] to observe the agreement by not attacking our forces,” he said.
Peace talks mediated by the southern Sudan government resumed in Juba on Thursday, three weeks after the LRA announced it was walking out, having accused the Ugandan army of ambushing their fighters, which they said was a violation of the August truce.
On Monday, the two parties agreed to continue with the talks with little involvement of the mediators as a way to expedite the process.
Another hiccup to the talks are the indictments against five LRA leaders.
They are charged with war crimes by the International Criminal Court in The Hague for atrocities against the civilian population of northern Uganda, including mass murder, rape, mutilations and mass abductions.
